


Tales of Mayview's Two God Hosts

by RivalGladion



Category: Paranatural (Webcomic)
Genre: "Homosexual" Banter, Activity Club Family Stuff, Board Games Ahoy, Canon Age, Heck of a Lot of Stupid Jokes, Isaac is a Bishonen, Isabel and Ed are being Friendshipped in this, M/M, Random OC Spirits that are there for the soul purpose of getting their tails whipped, Sleepovers, fluffy stuff, hand holding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-28
Updated: 2014-09-23
Packaged: 2018-01-06 11:14:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 37,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1106148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RivalGladion/pseuds/RivalGladion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Whoa!” He couldn’t help the impressed feeling he got as Isaac used wind once more to leap, a little too elegantly and anime for a boy, to the top of the nearest building and take off in a sprint. It didn’t take long for Isaac to be practically parallel to him. Max’s eyebrows creased in concern. He didn’t like that grin Isaac was sporting. The weather Medium looked down at Max, and a laugh escaped his lips.<br/>Max understood immediately as Isaac leapt.<br/>“Oh I should’ve <i>known</i>--” Max was, once again, crashed into by the club mascot. This time, however, Isaac was the one who was feeling triumphant.<br/>For the second time, the pair tumbled down the street. Isaac laughing, Max yelling at him for being a protozoan.</p><p>EDIT, 12/25/2016 - This has been on hiatus for YEARS. I am very sorry, I will pick it back up when I get back into the fandom.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One: Laundry Day

Their first _outing_ together ended with a butt whooping and internal organs quite nearly fed upon by an outrageous-looking sphinx. Not only that, but Isaac had _shot lightning_ from his leg, basically showing Max up in the ‘Cool Powers’ area.

In short, it wasn’t exactly the ideal bonding time. Definitely not something a regular parent would want his or her twelve year old child going out and doing. Actually, it was probably not something that a parent could imagine their child doing at all.

_Then again…_ Max’s face contorted into that of somewhat confused disappointment as he looked over at his questionable, albeit loving, father. The man was ranting something about how ‘the light is separated from the dark’ while in his boxers. Quickly noting that Zoey was lugging a ridiculous amount of laundry toward the laundry room (Wait. How did she even wear that much clothes in a week?), Max decided to take the incognito way out of Laundry Day and grabbed his backpack, strapping on his baseball bat. He quite nearly fell down the stairs for the fourth time since he moved to Mayview, but landed on his feet after a quick front flip.

He made an immediate beeline toward the door.

“ _Dad!_ Max is trying to ditch us on Laundry Day!” Max let out a frustrated growl as his sister’s voice sliced annoyingly through the air. Max spun around, crossing his arms and glaring up at his sister’s silhouette at the top of the stairs.

“ _Snitch_.” He snapped at her shortly. Long-winded insults were futile against Zoey, so he kept it simple to mock her lower IQ.

“Max! Laundry Day is the most important part of the week!” His dad bellowed dramatically as he too came into view at the top of the stairs.

“You say that about Pizza Night.”

“Pizza Night is on the same day as Laundry Day, Max!”

“That’s the biggest lie of the century.”

“Most of the time!"

"Nope."

"Never mind your technicalities! The point is, you don’t want to go to school reeking like pizza grease, do you?” He laughed, not really seeming to care if Max liked the idea or not. Sometimes Max swore his father made jokes just to laugh at them.

“I’ve only wore these pants once. I’m sure the fabric can hold for another five days.” Max griped.

“Ew.” Zoey pulled a face.

“ _Precisely!_ ” Max resisted the urge to turn and just leave. “Zoey has made a valid point! Laundry is important! I’m sure the nurse will chastise you on hygiene if you insist on _wreathing_ in your teen hormones!”

Despite every ounce of pride contained in Max’s body, he felt his face practically light up at his father’s _absurdly_ loud declaration. The capped boy’s eyes quickly darted around for any bystanders that may have, lord forbid, heard what his dad had just said.

“ _Dad!_ ” He hissed, relieved that no one was around. “I’m _twelve_. I haven’t…” Max waved his hands in exasperation, feeling his face contort into a kaleidoscope of different emotions. “I’m _not_ having this conversation!” He finally blurted.

“Doesn't mean you can skip Laundry Day.” Zoey huffed.

“If you’re so _adamant_ about my laundry smelling like dewdrop and honeysuckle detergent then you have my undying permission to do my laundry yourself.”

“And what are you going to do, huh? Wander around and hit things with your bat?” Zoey countered, a slightly annoyed look on her face.

Max was pinned there. He needed an excuse-- thank the lord for Quick Wit, right?

“I’m hanging out with Isaac.” Max replied coolly, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking up at his two family members, daring them to call him out on his lie. Luckily for Max, they seemed convinced.

“A little too convenient that you promise to hang out with the bishonen on Laundry Day…” Zoey huffed.

“Bishonen?” Their father muttered, confused.

“I scheduled it today on purpose. I assure you that there is no such thing as ‘Convenient Coincidences’ for me on Laundry Day.” Max turned, feeling victorious, and headed for the door. He knew he’d won this. “I do things today for a reason. On the bright side, I heard Isaac can _annihilate_ people in competitive Laundry. I might bring him by later.” Max couldn't help but crack a grin.

“Yes. He can fold your laundry, Max.”

“I’d think he’d be slightly uncomfortable folding my boxers, Zoey.” Max paused and looked back as his hand pushed against the door. Zoey rolled her eyes and stomped back up the stairs, presumably to get Max’s laundry, by the sound of where he footsteps were headed.

“Be back for Pizza!”

“Don’t count on it...” Max grumbled to himself as he exited the door. This would be the third Pizza Night this week. The brunette would be lying if he said he wasn't getting a little sick of pizza.

As soon as Max left the house, his brain caught up and he was faced with a serious dilemma.

He didn't have the faintest where Isaac lived.

Forcing himself to keep walking smoothly as if there was no problem, Max mentally wracked his brain.

What were the chances that Isabel or Ed knew where the gingered Medium lived? The chances were slim, considering that it seemed as though Isaac did nothing more but tolerate the two other members of the Activity Club.

Well out of sight range from the Corner Store by now, Max didn't hesitate to smack himself for not getting Isaacs’ phone number when he had the chance. He had plenty of time earlier in the week to ask him, and he was sure that he planned on it, but Max never seemed to fail to forget about his task when he saw Isaac during Club Meetings after school. This fact now severely agitated him.

He supposed he could always just ask Ed or Isabel to hang out…

Then again. They both liked extreme violence and fighting.

_Lots_ of fighting.

He wasn't really in the mood for a Life-Or-Death situation today. Sundays did that to him. Or maybe he just wanted to hang out with someone with cooler powers.

“It could also be the fact that you have nothing in common with Isabel and Ed, Max.” He mumbled, rounding a corner and quite nearly running into a large Doctopus-thing.

Max let out a girly shriek that he would deny later, and quickly performed a duck-and-roll. Standing, he dusted himself off and gave a slightly wary sweep of the area.

No one heard that, right?

The perimeter seemed clear enough... Minus that yapping chihuahua--

“Max.”

Max jumped and shrieked again, whirling and coming face-to-face with a certain grinning Medium.

“Max you are quite possibly the girliest man-child I've ever encountered in my entire known life.” Isaac teased, jabbing his pointer finger in Max’s direction. Max snorted, effectively hiding his embarrassment as he swatted at Isaac’s hand.

“You don’t have to point at me with your finger-- your hair does that for you.”

“What a primitive urge. Hide your embarrassment with an insult.”

He needed to change the subject. “Oh!” Max felt his arm make a swooping motion as his fingers snapped. He used the same hand to point at Isaac. “You. Phone number.”

Isaac pulled a contorted face of confusion and shock before evening it out to amusement. His hand reached into his pocket, eyelids fluttering down to his jeans as he grinned. “Effective subject change.” The Medium snorted in mild approval, looking back up as he pulled an orange flip phone from his pocket. It made a faint ‘click!’ sound as he flicked it open. He held out his other hand, gesturing for Max to hand over his phone. The brunette begrudgingly handed the black device over.

“Mind sharing why you’re wandering around alone on a Sunday?” Isaac asked neutrally as he first entered a number into Max’s phone.

“My father insists that I awaken early to gather all of my worn clothes and clean them. Every Sunday. It’s completely anticlimactic, considering Sunday is commonly known as the day of rest.” Max waved his hands wildly, pulling an irritated face. “So in order to escape my cloth-induced confinement, I gave a convincing act on how I was hanging out with you today.”

Isaac snorted. “Long-winded explanation short, you lied.”

“Considering the current circumstances, no. I didn't lie.” Max motioned to Isaac’s entire body. “I’m currently holding a conversation with you in the middle of the sidewalk as we exchange phone numbers. Unless I’m a lunatic, that’s a loose sense of the phrase ‘ _hanging out_ ’.”

“Just like the loose sense of the word ‘ _friends_ ’?” Isaac replied snarkily.

“Bingo.” Max shot a finger pistol at Isaac just as the ginger snapped his friend’s phone shut and dangled it in front of his face before dropping it. The other boy dived and caught it before it hit the concrete below.

“Now you can call me whenever you feel like ditching your family.” Isaac grinned as Max gave him a bewildered glare. “And we can go explore or something.”

“What’s this?”  Max suddenly straightened. “Is the tsundere bishonen actually showing a childish quirk? Exploring?”

Max hadn't a clue what ‘tsundere bishonen’ even meant, only that his sister used it to describe Isaac on multiple occasions. Considering that Isaac suddenly tinged a slight pink and stiffened, Max assumed he’d hit spot-on.

“B-Bishonen…!” He fidgeted and sent Max a scathing glare.

“My sister uses it to describe you.” Max snorted. “Calm yourself, meteorologist. You wanna explore or what? I've got time.”

That seemed to snap him from his anger. “Yes! I know a place... Ah, but fair warning: everywhere we go will most likely be in wooded areas. Mainly because Isabel and Ed are usually hanging around school to get a fight in, and I’m not--”

“Into fighting. I gotcha.” Max held up a semi-placating hand. “I’ll protect you from spirits, little snowflake.” Max joked, leaning forward and giving Isaac his biggest shark grin. Isaac turned an angry red.

“I can handle myself, Max.” He huffed indignantly. “You _Baseball Nerd_.”

“No who’s hiding embarrassment with insults, hm? Don’t wanna admit that you’re a _fwagile wittle snowfwake?_ ” Max was suddenly and unpleasantly greeted with a freezing gust of wind and ice to the face. He stumbled back, coughing snow from his air pipe and wiping his eyes. When he cleared his vision, he immediately was greeted with the sight of an angry Medium storming away.

And the thing about Isaac, is that he was literally creating a lighting storm to show his displeasure as he walked. Max let out a loud guffaw and jogged to catch up.

“Where we goin’, _Weather Dork?_ ”

Isaac didn't look at him as he replied. “A small wooded area next to the river emptying into the lake. Isabel and Ed reported odd noises, but Mr. Spender told them not to worry about it. They purposefully never told me, so I’m glad I was eavesdropping.”

“Whoa-ho! Breaking News! Isaac O'Connor is an Accomplished Eavesdropper!”

“Can it, Max.” The ginger rolled his eyes, tugging at the collar of his grey shirt when it rode too close to the front of his neck. “Insolent child.”

“ _Insolent_ \--” Max instinctively looked down to see his ‘insolent children’ jacket. “Oh-- _oh_. Make fun of my jacket, why don’t you?”

“Just hush and follow me.” Isaac cracked a small grin, the storm dissipating above him. The companionship was short-lived, however, as Isaac began to jog to stay in front of Max.

Max took this as a declaration of war,and he took off running after his friend--in the loose sense of the word, of course.

 


	2. Chapter Two: The Bonding of Souls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Whoa!” He couldn’t help the impressed feeling he got as Isaac used wind once more to leap, a little too elegantly and anime for a boy, to the top of the nearest building and take off in a sprint. It didn’t take long for Isaac to be practically parallel to him. Max’s eyebrows creased in concern. He didn’t like that grin Isaac was sporting. The weather Medium looked down at Max, and a laugh escaped his lips.  
> Max understood immediately as Isaac leapt.  
> “Oh I should’ve _known_ \--” Max was, once again, crashed into by the club mascot. This time, however, Isaac was the one who was feeling triumphant.  
> For the second time, the pair tumbled down the street. Isaac laughing, Max yelling at him for being a protozoan.

Max had always made an effort to keep his eyes from straying to the creatures around him. It bothered him-- the whole idea of making eye contact with some strange, overgrown beast. So as a result, his eyes were usually downcast or he focused on something he knew wouldn’t hurt him.

Take Isaac, for example.

His eyes were currently glued to him.

So he didn’t _miss_ it when Isaac completely _cheated_ by using his weather powers to create a gust, pushing him ahead of Max even more.

“Isaac you are, without a doubt, the biggest _rat_ in the _sewer_.” Max complained. Isaac turned and began running backwards, a cocky grin alighting his face.“Never heard that metaphor before.” He replied, innocently adding on, “And I assure you that I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Let me simplify it for that spaghetti wad in your head you call a brain,” Max puffed, tugging his bat from his bag. He had never been so glad that Isaac wore a belt. “you are a _cheater_.”

And while the sentence still lingered, Max swung the bat forward, feeling the bat vibrate lightly. Isaac’s previously confused face suddenly lit with understanding and horror, his blue eyes flicking down to the metal of his belt buckle.

“Max you wouldn- _whoa!_ ” Max coughed out a laugh as he swung his bat so it wouldn’t impale Isaac just before he was bombarded with ginger. The two flew back, Max’s shoes skidding against the concrete. He grimaced at the thought-- he’d just gotten these shoes.

Just before he completely stopped, Max dropped Isaac in a circle of honeysuckle bushes. The ginger glared maliciously up at his brown-haired counterpart. Max tipped his hat, aiming his bat upwards. Isaac stuck out his tongue in a childish form of displeasure before the vibrating started up again.

Max yelped a bit as he was propelled toward the top of the second nearest light pole. Using his quick wit, Max tugged his new scooter from his bag, lowering the bat. The tingling stopped, and so did the magnetic pull to the pole. The brunette brought his scooter below hi as he hit the ground at a fast pace, looking back and seeing Isaac running toward him.

“Whoa!” He couldn’t help the impressed feeling he got as Isaac used wind once more to leap, a little too elegantly and anime for a boy, to the top of the nearest building and take off in a sprint. It didn’t take long for Isaac to be practically parallel to him. Max’s eyebrows creased in concern. He didn’t like that grin Isaac was sporting. The weather Medium looked down at Max, and a laugh escaped his lips.

Max understood immediately as Isaac leapt.

“Oh I should’ve _known_ \--” Max was, once again, crashed into by the club mascot. This time, however, Isaac was the one who was feeling triumphant.

For the second time, the pair tumbled down the street. Isaac laughing, Max yelling at him for being a protozoan.

Max coughed in surprised pain as his back was slammed into a tree. He dropped his head an wheezed.

“Isaac…” He looked up and glared, trying in vain to get his breath back. Isaac sat criss-cross on his legs, looking unfazed as he grinned down. It was obvious who had won this. “You’re lucky you weigh as much as my little sister…”

Oh, Isaac knew a burn when he heard one. His eyes instantly darkened and he flushed a furious red, lips pulling downward.

“Does that come with being a Weather Medium?” Max knew he hit something, and he grinned. Isaac’s blue eyes glanced to the left.

“Yes.”

“ _Haah!_ ” Max threw his hands in the air. “ _Liar!_ ”

“Shut up!” Isaac yelled, shooting up and looking back. “Let’s just hope nobody saw that. We were in the middle of a neighborhood, you know.”

“You completely started it, you cheater.” Max got up shakily and dusted himself off.

“Nobody would notice a little extra spring to my running.” Isaac shot back. “ _You_ , however, went totally _Magneto_ on me! And also helped me learn a life lesson. Never wear belts around Max ever again.” Isaac swiveled his head dramatically, and Max _swore_ he saw _sparkles_.

“Stop that. It’s weird.”

“Stop what?”

“The sparkles. How do you do that?”

“Oh look.” Isaac exclaimed, electing to ignore Max’s question. “We made it to our destination.”

“Isaac.”

“The trees here are a little different, did you notice? They’ve got a tinge of purple.”

“Isaac.”

“Same with the grass. Everything about this forest, actually, is a little off.”

“ _Isaac_.”

“Even stranger still, there isn’t any normal animal life, and spirits stay away. Isn’t that fascinating?”

“ _Isaac oh my god_.” Max whined, suddenly flinging himself at the ginger.

“ _What_.” Isaac huffed in annoyance, glaring at the brunette. “Hey-- hey! Watch that scooter.”As soon as Isaac complained about the large piece of metal digging into his stomach, Max’s hand retracted and deposited the scooter in his bag.

“How do you do the _sparkly thing?_ ” Max repeated the question, arm striking back out and around Isaac’s neck to keep him from wriggling away.

“Genetics.” Isaac growled at him. Max, in confusion, slackened. Isaac took the opportunity to slip from his grasp.

“Wait. Are you serious?”

“No.” Isaac laughed, trekking around his acquaintance and into the woods. The crunching of grass behind him notified the ginger that Max was following.

“So,” Max awkwardly broke a nearly three-minute silence. “What are we looking for, Chief?”

Isaac scoffed at Max’s new nickname. “Most likely a spirit.”

“Any idea what it’ll look like?”

“Spirits are varied, so no.”

“Activity Club- A Theater Play. Isaac O’Connor as Mr. Spender.”

“Oh, just shove that bat down your face hole, why don’t you.” Isaac snorted at Max’s way of insulting his spirit knowledge.

“Isaac O’Connor played by--”

“Don’t even finish that sentence.” Isaac’s blue spectral energy flared up as he looked back at Max. Max grinned playfully and started whistling, head turning to the side. The Medium sighed, shaking his head before continuing their exploration.

“It’ll probably be big, for it to practically lay claim to this plot of land. And I’m assuming it’ll be purple, judging by the tinge of the earth. Just keep your eye out--” Isaac didn’t have time to yelp as he was jerked backwards by his belt, a hand clamping over his mouth, his back pressed firmly against Max’s chest as if to tell him telepathically _Do not move Do not move_. Lightning crackled on Isaac’s fingertips in anger before Max made a shushing sound, his free hand coming up to point at something in front of them. Isaac looked to the side, seeing Max’s eyes darkened in a form of intense panic. Isaac felt his lightning fizzle away as he followed the direction the the baseball bat wielder was pointing.

“ _For that?_ ” Max asked in a hushed whisper, finishing Isaac’s sentence at the same time.

Isaac nodded in a dazed stupor as Max released his vicegrip over the Medium’s mouth.

In front of the pair, standing in the middle of a clearing that Isaac had almost recklessly bundled himself into, was a giant purple blob of a creature. It looked like a grotesque mixture of a caterpillar and a frog, with leathery wings grafted onto it’s back. Purple slime oozed from it’s body and onto the ground below as it stared vacantly off into the woods perpendicular to where the boys were standing.

“Yes.” Isaac whispered. “Yes. That would be it, exactly.”

“Is the sole purpose of its’ mouth to eat a tour bus?” Max hissed incredulously. Isaac couldn’t help but snicker, hand slapping up to his mouth.

Max had a point. It’s mouth rivaled it’s body in pure size alone. It looked like it was made to be a glutton. The tips of the gaping pit of a mouth reached to the middle of it’s sides.

“Is there even any room for a stomach or any other internal organs?” Max waved his hands in front of him before pointing his bat at the spirit. Isaac stifled a snort, eyes darting toward the _thing_ in panic.

“Shh, Max, _shh!_ ” Isaac’s voice quavered.

A twig snapped behind them.

Max and Isaac jumped around in surprise, bat already poised for strike, clouds already forming.

Isabel and Ed stared back in shock.

Max and Isaac loosened.

There was a moment of tense silence.

“ _What are you two doing here?_ ” Isabel hissed quietly.

“We should be asking you the same thing!” Isaac snapped back.

Isabel slapped her book against her face. “So you _were_ eavesdropping.”

Ed was laughing.

“Ed, shut it.” Isabel scolded. “The Spirit is right there.”

“What _are_ you two doing out here?” Max asked, looking unamused. Isabel and Ed looked at each other for a second before looking back at Max.

“Mr. Spender told us to get rid of the thing.”

“What is that thing?”

“Wait, wait. Lemme guess.” Isaac cut in, sounding irritated. “He didn’t tell you.”

Isabel and Ed looked away awkwardly. Max slapped a hand over Isaac’s mouth as a feral snarl lift his lungs, successfully muffling the sound.

“ _Ufeleff, goodf fer’ noffin’--_ ” Isaac grumbling through Max’s hand. The brunette took his gaze from the angry Medium back to the other Tool Users.

“Any ideas on what it’s powers might be?”

“No.”

“What it eats?” That mouth bothered him.

“Nope.”

“Alright!” Max grinned in an almost sarcastic manner. “We are so ready to take this thing on!”

“We?” Isabel raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, we. You left us out purposefully, but we got here before you. We get the spoils too--” Max gasped, head snapped over to Isaac and recoiling his hand at the speed of lightning. “ _Ew, ew, Isaac oh my god did you just LICK me?!_ ” Max hissed at an unamused Isaac.

“It was getting hard to breath.” The ginger replied, laughter lighting up in his eyes as Max shook his hand.

“ _Nasty._ ” Max hissed, wiping his hand against the sleeve of Isaac’s shirt. “Here, you Weather Dork. Have your _Bishonen Germs_ back. I don’t want to _sparkle_.”

Isaac merely rolled his eyes before noticing the scrutinizing look that Isabel was giving them.

“... What?” The Medium asked cautiously.

“When did you two become all chummy?” She asked.

It was Max who answered. “Being bombarded by a ginger a couple times, and about fifteen minutes of competitive parkour will bond two mens’ souls for life.”

There was a confused silence before Isaac broke it.

“That is extremely accurate.” He looked over, perplexed, at Max. “Uh. Wait. Minus the… Soul bonding part.”

“I… I’m not sure I understand.” Isabel muttered as Ed broke into laughs again, picking his nose. Isabel rolled her eyes, flipping through her book absentmindedly. “Since I don’t feel like fighting with Max on his whole ‘We’ thing, I’ll give you the run-down on what Mr. Spender _did_ tell us.”

“He actually gave you information beforehand?!” Isaac hissed, aggravated. The three looked down at Isabel’s notes, the batter not even bothering. He knew he wouldn’t understand.

Max suddenly froze as something undoubtedly _purple_ dribbled onto Isaac’s shirt. Max looked up, terrified of what he’d see.

Right above Isaac, the abomination was poised, jaws gaping open. It’s bulging purple chameleon-like eyes were fixated directly on the back of Isaac’s downturned head. Max’s muscles locked.

_Oh. Mother of everything living--_

“ _Isaac!_ ” He shouted. Everything seemed to play in slow motion.

Isaac turned to face Max, eyes questioning and a little panicked at the fact that Max just _screamed_ when there was a spirit--

Max dove, hands connecting with Isaac’s shirt just as the spirit wailed and struck for it’s prey of choice. Isaac’s blue eyes locked on the Spirit in terror, then snapped shut. Max, thinking quick, pulled Isaac and wrapped his arms around the Medium and turned in the air. The thought only flickered across his mind for a moment that you only saved _girls_ from hitting the ground, but he didn’t linger on the thought.

Max grunted as he took the full brunt of the impact, vision fading as he felt his head snap up against something hard.

 _Was that a rock?_ Max thought wearily. Isaac wriggled from his grasp, face coming into view. His eyes were wide in shock and terror. Max felt something shake his shoulders. By the feel of electricity bouncing across his skin, he could only guess it was Isaac’s hands. His eyes left the Medium’s face for a moment to see Isabel and Ed taking on the unknown spirit.

“...ax…”

What was that?

“...M...x!”

There’s that electricity again. Did Isaac let off lightning when he was over-emotional? Was that a thing? Max looked back up at Isaac, the ginger’s face now covered in worry.

He tried to say: _Don’t worry about me, Weather Dork._

But from the look of amusement and relief that instantly flooded across Isaac’s face, it was probably slurred. He couldn’t help but mentally flick himself off. Isaac had more leverage against him now.

“...diot.”

Ah, yes, he understood that. Isaac just called him an idiot. With a downcast face. And his face was turning red. Max didn’t know many anime terms, but he knew the perfect word for this situation.

“ _Tsundere_.” He managed, proud that his speech was back. Isaac blushed a wild red and glared at him.

“You enjoy making fun of me, don’t you?” His hearing was back. Another plus.

“Yes.” Max answered bluntly, sitting up and rubbing his head.

“Don’t sit up so soon, Max.” Isaac scolded. Max grabbed his bat from his side and shakily got to his feet, Isaac shadowing him to make sure he didn’t fall down.

“Isaac, ‘m fine.” Max assured him. He spun his bat in his hand and Isaac sighed in submission.

“If you say so.”

“C’mon, you semi-vegan pacifist.” Max grinned over at  now glaring Medium. “We’ve got a spirit to beat into submission.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah okay I understand the title of this chapter is _questionable_. But really, it's not _that_ cheesy once you read the chapter, right?
> 
> (... riiiiiiight.  
> yeaahhh...  
> maybe if we agree she'll stop asking questions....)
> 
> Haha anyways, thanks for reading!
> 
> (btw, thank guttersvoice for that small headcanon about isaac getting all electric-y when he gets overemotional.  
> good headcanon, right? i like it.)


	3. Chapter Three: Anti-Gravity and Weather Puns

“Max.” Isaac was looking down at him, having to bend over so he could be closer and not have to talk as loud. “Max, that was possibly the most ignorant thing you could’ve done.”

Max snorted in irritation. He was sprawled on his back, looking up at Isaac as the Medium used Max’s bat to prop himself up. Isabel and Ed were a few yards away, fighting. There’d be an occasional maniacal laugh from Isabel, which honestly creeped Max out just a tad.

Max had attempted the bum rush the thing. It ultimately sent him flying, and Isaac had caught him safely with a surreally fluffy cloud. Or gust of wind. Max wasn’t entirely sure.

“Eh.” Max shrugged and jumped up, stretching.

Isabel suddenly flew past, skidding across the ground and having to use her paper to stop from slamming head-first into a tree. She shot up and glared at Isaac.

“So you save Max but not me?”

“There’s a difference.” Isaac replied coolly as she stormed past and jumped back into the fight. Max motioned for his bat, which Isaac handed over.

“There is?” Max asked, confused. “I would’ve thought girls would be your top priority.” He joked, causing Isaac to snort and roll his eyes.

“Between you and me.” His voice dropped to almost inaudible. “I like you much more than those two.” He looked over at Ed and Isabel, grimacing.

“But I’m not a pacifist.”

“I can tolerate you.” Isaac replied shortly, placing his hand on the small of Max’s back and shoving him toward the fight once more. “Go save the day, Magnet Freak.”

“Can-do, Lightning Jerk.” Max went to join the battle, but as soon as he took a step toward the fight, the monstrosity let out a ferocious shriek. Max could hear Isaac make a strangled noise of pain, and Max couldn’t blame him. The noise made his teeth rattle. He dropped his bat (he felt a surge of something strangely yet pleasantly warm as a cloud suddenly showed up, catching it before it hit the ground) and slapped his hands over his ears.

The ground began to churn, the purple ooze that coated the ground began to make odd crackling noises. The ground started to curve upwards into a hill, everything beginning to stretch like a crude photo being stretched across a canvas far too large. The ground kept getting steeper and steeper, and right as Max felt he was loose balance and fall, the purple shade peeled from the ground, forming a bubble and snapping the ground comically back into place.

Max grimaced as the slime continued to expand from the ground, trailing up his legs.

“What is this?” The brunette grumbled, trying (and failing) to pull his legs from the expanding dome.

“No clue.” Isaac replied. “I just hope it’s not unsanitary or something. I just took a shower.”

“Wait, wait. Hold that thought, Gel Poisoning.”

“We went over this, it’s not gel…”

“Do you _take_ showers or _make_ showers?”

Isaac stared in unamused silence at a now-grinning Max.

“Was that a weather pun.”

“That was more of a statement than a question, Isaac.”

“I swear to this likely-unsanitary bubble goop that if you start weather puns I will personally blast you into next year.”

“Sounds like someone’s a little stormy about puns.”

“Max.”

“Make it rain, Isaac. I wanna see what’s up in the future.”

“That can be arranged.”

“Though, it’ll probably just be the sky. Partly cloudy.”

“Unholy mother, when will this torture end?”

“Oh snap.” Max raised his hands a bit, the purple film now reaching to his thighs. “My awesome puns need to be preserved for later, loose friend. We have a more pressing matters.”

“Thank god!” Isaac raised his hands toward the sky. “You know, you should preserve those puns in acid.”

“A suggestion fit for a snarky young weather medium.”

“I’m older than you.”

“We need to compare birthdays. But not now. The dome is picking up speed.”

“You’re right. It went from molasses to turtle.”

“I was thinking more like molasses to cloud…”

“Max, no.”

“Will you two shut up?” Isabel complained from across the field. “Your homosexual banter is angering the spirit!”

“Homosexual?!” Isaac snarled to himself.

“We’re twelve.” Max replied, sounding passive.

“Turtle to spilt milk on a flat counter.” Ed called, causing Max to grin and advert his attention.

“Spilt milk on a flat counter to butterfly.” Max chimed.

“Butterfly to hopping bird.” Isabel joined in.

“Hopping bird to waddling penguin.”

“Waddling penguin to falling hail.”

“Max if you keep it up--”

“Falling hail to pterodactyl!” Ed laughed. The dome was now up to their shoulders, and the three others stared at his quizzically.

Chin.

“How fast even _is_ a pterodact--” Max was cut off as the purple film reached his lips. He quickly snapped his mouth and eyes shut, feeling the oozy gook slide over his face. As quickly as it came, it left, leaving Max to open his eyes and move freely. Something cold and round prodded his cheek, and Max looked over to see a smirking Isaac prodding him with his baseball bat. The brunette snorted and snatched the handle from Isaac’s grasp.

“ _Thanks_.” He drawled sarcastically, looking up. Isabel and Ed walked over casually, looking up as well.

“What’s up with the spirit?” Max heard Isaac ask.

“It’s encased in the purple film that it secreted from it’s pores. Acts as a forcefield.” Isabel replied. “We have to wait until it’s done with whatever it’s doing.”

“Ew, wait.” Max looked down from the rapidly expanding semisphere at Isaac’s sudden disgusted tone. And indeed, the look on Isaac’s face matched his voice. “We just passed through it’s _bodily secretion?_ ”

His word choice made Isabel and Max grimace, while Ed just laughed.

“Erm. Well. Yes.” The asian girl answered awkwardly, looking away from Isaac’s scrutinizing gaze. “Yes. Yes we did.”

“Five plus showers are in order.” Max grumbled. “Isaac, we’re gonna need your powers, bro.”

“No. Shut up, Max.”

“Girls, girls, you’re both pretty.” Isabel sighed, holding up placating hands, her eyes connecting to the dome once more. “What I’m trying to figure out, is what this dome does.”

“Gassing Dome.” Isaac raised his hand.

“Greenhouse.” Ed was picking his nose.

“Weather dome.”

“Max, _sweet baby spirits_ , I will _annihilate_ yo--”

“Isaac. Max. Please.” Isabel groaned, throwing her head back. “Can you two jus-- It stopped.”

“What?” Isaac and Max asked in unison, the three others looking up. Sure enough, it had stopped growing, making a large, violet enclosure.

“Something’s happening.” Isaac murmured. The four kids turned back to the spirit as it began to ripple, the protection film oozing off of it in waves. The gelatinous syrup hit the ground and sizzled into a hazy gas, floating and dispersing into the air.

“Whoa.” Isabel leaned an arm against Ed’s shoulder. “Is Isaac _right_ for once?”

“ _Hey!_ ”

“Easy there, weatherman.”

“Max, you _aren’t_ helping.”

The scent of dust suddenly washed over the quartet, and they flinched, expecting to suddenly drop dead.

But nothing happened.

“What? That’s it?” Max sounded disappointed.

“Dust?” Isaac sniffed the air next to him.

“How lame.” Ed whined.

“Must make a clean freak go mad, though.” Isabel joked.

The other three continued their complaints or jokes, but something was considerably off all of a sudden. Max looked down at his bat. It was light. Lighter than usual.

He looked over at Isaac. He’d carried the ginger bridal-style earlier. Even if it was for a second, he still had a vague idea of how much he should weigh.

Not caring what the others though, he reached over and tugged a suddenly light-as-air Isaac, and picked him up around the waist with one arm. Isaac’s hands immediately latched on Max’’s shoulders in shock.

“H-Hey! Max! Put me down! What are you--”

“Light. Lighter than usual.” Max interrupted the flustered Medium, setting him down cautiously. Max jumped a little, testing, and found that he didn’t come back down to the earth quite a quick as he normally would’ve.

He connected the pieces fast enough. “No. No, it’s not a gassing chamber or whatever. I’m not sure whether to be worried or fascinated, but this dome in anti-gravity. We’re going to have some serious fighting issues.”

“Running won’t work. Too little traction.” Isabel noted.

“If we jump to avoid an attack we’ll be free-floating.” Isaac grumbled.

“I can make wings or propellers with paper, so maneuvering shouldn’t be _that_ big of a problem for me…” Isabel added. “Ed can hitch a ride from me.”

“I can use wind.” Isaac said, thinking quickly. He pointed at Max. “Guess I’m your back-up.”

“I’m relatively comfortable with that.” Max shrugged, grinning a bit.

The thing gave a guttural roar and started toward them.

“Alright. All puns aside, Isaac, but I need you to get as ‘Stormy’ as possible.” Max brought his bat up in a defensive position, black wreathing like serpents around the metal.

“Can do.” Isaac’s hands flashed with blue.

“You sure this is safe?” Ed stared at the paper wings grafted onto his shirt in the closest thing to concern he’d get to.

“Certainly.” Isabel said proudly. “Alright, guys. Let’s roll!”

“Aye aye!”

“Yeah, whatever.”

“I’m not fighting.”

The four took to the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sweet sugarplums I really hate italics but I love them too
> 
> cries


	4. Chapter Four: Magnetic Lightning and a Sleeping Medium

Max had to stifle a gasp as Isaac suddenly grabbed his wrist and the two propelled into the air. The gooey-looking spirit landed right in their previous spot, and Max swore that he felt himself begin to perspire.

“That was close.” Isaac said from next to him, looking a bit shaken as well. “Too close for my liking.”

“Try being the person _not_ in control of the floaty powers.” Max retorted, getting a better grip on his bat. Isaac snorted in reply, kicking his legs down in a bouncing movement. Wind shot them upwards just before the Spirit took a flying leap at them. Ed and Isabel were trying, in vain, to advert it’s attention.

Max knew there was still some gravity, and it was pulling them slowly toward the ground. He was grateful that the source of pull was from the earth, and not the sun.

He was jerked from his thoughts by Isaac’s voice. “You might wanna hold on.”

Max got the message and twisted the wrist that Isaac was holding onto, clasping his free hand around Isaac’s wrist. No sooner had he done this, he was jerked to the side. He felt himself going in circles, and when he looked around, he noted that Isaac was indeed doing a huge circle around the edge of the dome.

“Isaac, look out!” Isabel’s voice yelped, and the ginger made a sudden left turn, ramming into the inside of the dome as the spirit fly by. It’s mouth was gaping as it attempted to swallow the air where the two boys were previously at.

“Thanks!” Max yelled back. Isabel saluted from across the way.

Max turned and looked at Isaac, who was prodding the inside of the dome with concerned curiosity.

“Wassap?” Max asked, finding that he could move a little by kicking his legs like he was swimming. He ultimately ended up bumping into Isaac’s back (which he was aiming for) and craning his neck over his shoulder to see what Isaac was doing.

“Hey homosexuals! Take however long you need, because we got it’s attention!” Ed yelled jokingly. Max saw Isaac roll his eyes.

“It’s solid.”

“The bodily excretion?” Max found it funny how fast Isaac’s finger retracted. “That’s kinda nasty. Solidifying agent?”

“That’s the only thing I can think of besides some sort of Spectral Energy thing.”

“I really like how you described that. _Spectral Energy Thing._ It’s very original.”

“Shut up, Max.” Isaac kicked his shin, eyes twitching.

“Okay, okay. So, I’m guessing in order to get out we have to weaken that disgusting thing?”

“Most likely.” Isaac angled himself away from the wall and shot away, Max in tow. They stopped almost right above where Ed and Isabel were fighting the spirit. Isaac kicking the air every time they fell too low to keep them a reasonable distance in the air.

“So. We have a short-distance fighter and a long-distance pacifist.” Max nodded. “ _Great_.”

Isaac gave him a look, purposefully squeezing his arm in a vicegrip before giving him a little shock.

“ _Ow_ , god, okay. I understand. I wasn’t making fun of you. Kinda.” Max waved his bat aimlessly at the Medium beside him, keeping his eyes honed in on the spirit.

“I could drop you.”

“Trust me, I’m _hyper-aware_ of that fact.”

“Then be a little nicer.”

“Hello, Isaac, you’re sparkling like the sun today. You smell like fresh snow on a winter’s day with a hint of daffodils. Will you marry me?.”

“Never mind.” Isaac snorted.

“Look out!” Ed yelped. Max and Isaac had to quickly release their holds on each other right before an out-of-control Ed zoomed past. The gale that came after blew Max to the very top of the dome. Isaac had shot in the opposite direction in a confused panic.

The ginger turned and glared at a now-in-control Ed.

“Watch where you’re going!” He fumed.

“Sorry, sorry!” Ed laughed. “Not used to wings!”

Max wrenched his attention from Isaac with the intention to check up on Isabel, but the spirit caught his eye first.

It looked like it was trying to _stalk_ something. It’s gaping maw was open and slobbering, purple saliva dripping from it’s mouth. It’s chameleon-like eyes were locked on a target in the air…

_In the air?_

Max followed it’s gaze in a flash, not happy that he was left staring at a certain Club Mascot. Thinking quickly, he pointed the tip of his baseball bat at Isaac, who was still ignorant about the monster stalking him behind his back.

“C’mon, c’mon… Magnet powers.” He _seriously hoped_ that Isaac hadn’t taken off his belt or something ridiculous.

The spirit leapt, Isabel appeared and dived for it (She’d be too late anyways), Ed yelled for Isaac to watch out--

And Max’s bat caught up, pulling a startled Isaac away from danger at a speed Max didn’t think magnets could accomplish as he jerked his bat upwards.

Momentum apparently still worked in this anti-gravity compartment, and the two went flying, slamming into the dome at Max’s back.

The two watched as the thing shrieked in anger and fell back to the ground, landing inelegantly. By the look of the sudden limp, it had _really_ tried to get Isaac that time. The pair looked from the limping spirit back to each other, Isaac’s hands resting on Max’s shoulders, one of Max’s hands on Isaac’s side, the other holding his baseball, and the two began laughing.

“Okay, Okay…!” Isaac gasped through giggle fits. “I take it back. The belt was a good idea on my part.”

The two broke apart and clasped their wrists.

“Let’s not split again.” Isaac suggested. “I’d rather not be pulled to you by my belt buckle again.”

“Agreed. I can’t fly on my own.” Max nodded, attempting nonchalance, but he was smiling too hard.

“We need a plan.”

Max and Isaac jumped at Isabel’s voice, and the smile on Isaac’s face seemed to instantly fall to an almost annoyed grimace.

“Cutting it with paper doesn’t work.” She shot up next to them with a strong flap of her paper-made wings. “It’s a _slimy_ little pig.” She spat out, irritated. Ed was cackling as he flew in lazy circles around the spirit, diverting its attention.

“Getting angry won’t help.” Isaac sighed. “Max is right--”

“Boom shaka-laka boom-tastic.”

“--we need a plan of attack.” Isaac glanced at Max when he commented, fighting a grin.

“... Any ideas?” Isabel asked after a brief pause.

“I vote lightning.” Max imputed immediately. Isaac gave him a disapproving look, and the brunet snorted in reply. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“Wait, Isaac. Max has a valid idea.” Isabel grinned at the ginger, and Max swore he saw Isaac flush pale.

“Uh.”

“Max. That magnet-y thing you did to save Isaac earlier just spawned a crazy idea that might work.” Isabel knocked a fist into her palm, looking down at the ground in thought. “Your bat. It’s metal, right?” She looked up and pointed at Max’s tool.

“Uh, no duh.” The brunet raised an eyebrow.

“Okay, listen up.” Isabel, if possible, grinned wider and ushered them closer.

 

\--Oh look a timeskip--

 

Max had hastily agreed to the plan, an impatient grin stretched across his face. Isaac hesitated, but after a quick glance at Max, agreed slowly.

“Insolent Child has agreed! Not-Quite-A-Pacifist has agreed!” Isabel called out.

“Roger!” Ed yelled back.

“What?” Isaac spluttered, turning pink.

“Cool code name.” Max approved, nodding his head. Isaac huffed haughtily from beside him and Max aimed a grin at the weather medium.

“Never mind the silly names! Can we defeat it already?”

“‘Course.” Isabel took to the air to join Ed. Isaac held out his hand to Max, looking irritated and tired.

“We gonna hold hands this time?” Max teased. “Aw, c’mon don’t be like that. I’ll hold hands with you, dork. It might work better that way, anyways.” He relented with a smile as Isaac flushed pink and recoiled his hand with a grimace.

The two stood there awkwardly, Isaac cradling his left hand in his right and Max shuffling around slowly. The sound of a vicious growl snapped them from their daze. Max offered his hand this time.

“This makes us latent homosexuals, doesn’t it?” Max monotonously joked. Isaac snorted and cast his eyes downwards, taking his offer.

“More like _blatant_ homosexuals.” The other replied, kicking the ground. Max inhaled sharply as he was propelled into the air faster than any rollercoaster going downhill. His ears popped and he grimaced, swallowing heavily.

Max was about to bite out a sarcastic remark about controlling his wind, but stopped when he saw the clouds begin to form, quickly, throughout the dome. Isabel and Ed looked up from trying to trap the spirit in awe.

“Whoa.” Max looked around to the small thundering clouds, all joining together. “This is definitely a weather dome, now. Nobody can say otherwise. I can’t say I feel safe, though, Isaac.”

The brunet’s eyes widened, and he felt the blood leave his face. Isaac was gleaming with perspiration and his brow was furrowed in concentration.

“Whoa, man!” Max kicked his legs viciously, succeeding in bringing himself level with Isaac. He pinned his baseball bat between his legs and brought a hand up, grimacing at the dampness and sudden heat coming from Isaac’s forehead. “You don’t have to push yourself so hard.” He whispered.

“‘M good.” Isaac gritter out, and offered up a shaky smile. “Not used to… Making this many clouds.”

“Obviously.” Max wiped his hand on his pants, which probably needed to be washed after all, now, and found himself resisting the urge to take off his jacket and wipe Isaac’s face. Was this normal? “You have enough energy for the rest?” He asked.

“I should.” Isaac confirmed. “I’ll need a serious nap after this, though. You’ll have to carry me.”

“Can do.” Max answered without thinking.

Isaac didn’t seemed phased, and only nodded thankfully. Max took his bat from in between his legs and readied it. Isaac and Max grinned at each other, one tired one excited, before Isaac held his hand in front of the pair and created a small crackling cloud. Max squeezed Isaac’s hand and brought his bat down through the cloud, tensing and waiting for the zap.

When it never came, he look down at his bat, and to his pleasure, saw that it was lit and humming with blue electricity. Max turned his head and met Isaac’s eyes, seeing he was grinning as well.

“Well. We might be able to pull this off.”

“Max!” Isabel’s voice yelled. “We got him down! Hurry, you two!”

“You good?” Max asked. Isaac answered by swinging max behind him with his arm.

“I’ve enough energy for this.”

“Plow me straight into the thing.”

“Can do.” Isaac squeezed Max’s hand and swiftly swung the brunet forward. Max and Isaac let go of each other’s hands and Max felt a fierce burst of air shoot him down. Max grimaced and did a front flip in the air, poising his bat above his head.

“Move!” Max screamed. Isabel and Ed scattered and Max shot past, bringing his bat down with a predatory growl. Lightning ricocheted, and the clouds that Isaac made came into play. The clouds lit up and crackled. All of the stored lightning gathered and cracked down onto the spirit.

The chameleon-eyed beast shrieked, embarrassingly high-pitched, before it disintegrated into a white, sheet-like substance.

“ _Curse… You…_ ”

“It can talk--? _Whoa!_ ”  Ed yelped as he fell to earth. Isabell followed more gracefully, using her wings.

Max landed on his feet, grinning. “We won…!” He laughed, then stopped abruptly. “Isaac.” Max looked up and paled to see his friend hurtling toward the ground. Max hurled his bat instinctively and shot toward the approximate landing spot.

Diving, he stretched out his arms and caught the nearly unconscious medium, hat falling off during the sudden impact into the ground.

“Thanks.” Isaac grinned at him.

“Duhmentionit.” Max mumbled through the grass.

“Sweet! Ed, I can’t believe your odd habit of carrying around random objects actually came in handy!” Isabel’s voice carried through the air, and the two friends looked over to see a star-shaped bubble stick glowing with purple spectral energy in Ed’s hand.

“What.” Max’s eyebrows furrowed. “I’m actually terrified of whoever gets that tool.”

“I think purple’s uncommon… So… Don’t worry.” Isaac yawned and literally collapsed, trapping Max’s arms to the ground. Max groaned and shimmied up to his knees, curling his arms around Isaac and grunting as he stood. Isaac didn’t even care, and just laid limp.

“Dude. You really want me to carry you bridal style?” Max raised an eyebrow, his mouth quirking up into a lopsided grin as Isaac made a whining groan in a sort of submissive response. “Man, this is cliché. Swoon for me, Isaac.”

Isaac opened his bright blue eyes and glared up at the brunet, muttering something incomprehensible. Max gave a wolfish grin and started walking toward Isabel and Ed.

“I’m going to parade you around like we’re in a Disney movie. You’ll be the short tempered Princess and I’ll be the Prince that saved you and swept you off your feet.”

“No.”

“Oh, I understood that!” Max laughed. “You have enough energy to refuse me, do you?”

“Hey, Max, Isaac!” Isabel smiled over at the two. “Or, more like… Hey, newlyweds!”

“Wow.” Max rolled his eyes. “You’ve been wanting to use that one for awhile, haven’t you?”

“Yes.” Ed answered. Isabel slugged the blond with a grin.

“Anyways, we’re going to drop this off at Mr. Spender’s. Make sure Isaac doesn’t die.”

“That was the plan, anyways.” Max gave her an unamused look, jumping as Isaac’s head shifted to the side and hit against the brunet’s chest. Isabel’s grin widened and Max glared ferociously at her.

“Jumpy, much?”

“Shut up.” Max looked down at his bat in annoyance, then over at his backpack. “I’m going to need help with my stuff.

“Here, let me. It’s the least I can do for the help.” Isabel opened her book. Paper flurried from the cover and picked up the two items. His backpack was strapped to him with makeshift paper straps, and Isabel stuck the bat into the bag. “There you go!”

“Yeah. Thanks.” Max nodded in appreciation.

“Do you know where Isaac lives?” Ed asked.

“No, but neither do you.”

“How do you…?”

“Lucky guess.” Max began walking toward the forest. “He’ll crash at my place.”

“Mmno.” Isaac wriggled.

“You have no say in this, young man. I haven’t the faintest where you live.” Max deadpanned, trying not to laugh at Isaac’s irritated sound of submission.

The walk back was, needless to say, uneventful. Max looked down halfway through to see that the medium was out cold. The sudden nip in the air, and the fact that the streetlamps had turned on, spurred Max to walk faster.

Too lazy to turn around and back into the door, Max kicked the door to The Corner Store open-- which probably took more energy than turning around-- and slid in before the door shut on him.

“Max!” Zoey shrieked, rolling down the stair. Max hissed out a shushing noise and kicked a can of soup at her that was conveniently on the floor. Zoey caught the can, eyes going wide as she caught sight of the sleeping form of Isaac in her brother’s arms.

“Ohh.” She murmured, nodding. Max grimaced as she seemed to slither up and study the ginger. “Awh, look. He’s cute when he’s asleep.”

“Zoey, go make out with your pillow.” Max snorted, suddenly uncomfortable with her pointing that out. “And tell dad Isaac’s staying over.”

“‘Aight-highty.”

“What? ‘Aighty-highty?” Max murmured, walking forward as Zoey darted up the stairs. Max passed his dad’s room, hearing Zoey’s voice telling dad about Isaac and how Max told her to make out with her pillow. He might get in trouble for that one.

“Psst.” Max hissed quietly, coming up to his door. “Lefty. Mind opening the door for me?”

The door clicked and opened, Lefty and PJ peeking out from behind the door.

“Who might that be?” PJ hovered overhead timidly as Max laid Isaac down on his bed.

“Isaac. He’s a Medium.”

“Oh!” PJ squealed in surprise as he touched Isaac’s hair. “Strawberry shortcakes! He’s super weird too!”

“Don’t worry. He’s relatively friendly and won’t threaten to get rid of you like the others did.” Max grinned. “Just don’t wake him up, okay? He really strained himself.”

“Copy that, Mr. Max. Me and Lefty and Hissin’ Pete’ll make sure nothin’ll wake him up! No siree, not even a fly’ll touch him! Oh, but Lefty’ll have to shoo them off…” PJ slumped and Max laughed awkwardly.

“Nah, man. I appreciate the effort. It’d be a big help.”

PJ lit up. “Oh, really?!”

“Yeah!” Max smiled at the eight-year-old ghost, and PJ clapped.

“Oh boy! Then we’ll do our best!”

“Thanks, PJ--”

“ _Max. Pizza._ ” Zoey’s voice yelled. Max stiffened at her volume, but all Isaac did was murmur something about purple bubbles and shift to his side. Max exhaled and walked back to the hall, closing the door behind him. He hoped to god that PJ wouldn’t scare Isaac is the medium happened to wake up.

“Thanks for being unconditionally loud, sis.” Max sat down and frowned as his dad slammed down Charades. “No.”

“Yes!” The other two grinned at the horrified look Max gave them.

“I’d rather watch Isaac sleep.”

“If you don’t I’m not feeding you.”

Max hid his face in his hands and hoped to whatever spiritual entity watching over him that he would spontaneously combust into flames.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really like the title of this chapter. Is that just me? A Sleeping Medium  
> It sounds so  
> Cute
> 
> I dunno. People probably don't even read this stuff. I could say that I'm a cat with two tongues and nobody would ever know.
> 
> Haha but if you _do_ read this...  
>  UH.  
> DISREGARD THAT STRANGE COMMENT ABOUT MY SPECIES.  
> AND THANKS FOR SLIGHTLY CARING ABOUT WHAT I HAVE TO SAY????
> 
> THANKS FOR READING!!


	5. Charades and Shenanigans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next hour and a half included a large amount of terrible acting, except in Isaac’s part. He was (un)surprisingly animated and clear in every movement he made. Max could guess whatever he was trying to convey with ease, especially when he had to act out a gay anime protagonist, which made Zoey unconditionally angry after a while.

“Seagull!”

“Bagel!”

“Zebra rolling down a hill!”

“Tokyo Tower in the fall!”

Max lowered his arms and stared at his two relatives, now pealing in laughter. God, he really hated Charades, and they’d been playing it for about two and a half hours now. It’s not as if it wasn’t an OK game, it’s just that…

“How do you get the Tokyo Tower from me clearly acting like an Airplane?” Max asked incredulously. This sent Dad and Zoey into a heavier round of laughing and giggling.

That was it. They were either just plain terrible at Charades, or that did it on purpose. Max honestly wasn’t sure which one to believe. Both options, honestly, were completely feasible. The two of them did this every time.

“Bagel? Zebra? I can understand the seagull guess but the rest was ridiculously unreasonable.” The brunet slumped to the ground and curled up around his baseball bat. He swore it gave off a small vibration, almost an annoyed sort of vibe. He ignored it and snorted as Zoey attempted to to act out a cloud.

“Cloud.”

“Max, you’re no fun!” Zoey huffed at him, crossing her arms and glaring at her older brother.

“No, I’m just good at this game. Unlike you two.”

“We’ve been able to guess some correctly!” Their dad laughed.

“Keyword in that sentence is ‘some’.” Max drawled, rolling over uncomfortably onto his bat, but too lazy to move anymore.

“Okay. Max already acted out something, so _Dad_! You have to go!” Zoey giggled. Max wondered for a second if they’d ever play the game how it was supposed to be played, but the question didn’t linger. They’d basically lost the rule paper a few seconds after they’d bought the game. Max had to go online to check the rules. However, due to an uneven number of players, and the serious _lack of skill_ , they had to seriously improvise.

It basically turned into a game of one person acting out something, and the others trying (in vain, in two of the three Puckett’s cases) to figure out what the poor brave soul was trying to convey through exaggerated motions. There was no time limit. Otherwise, Max would win every single time. Not like he didn’t, anyways…

“Mr. Max!” PJ’s voice caused Max to jump, and he forced himself to keep a straight face as he stood and stretched.

“Wassap, PJ?” He whispered, back to his family. “I’mma go whizz.” He called over his shoulder, smirking as Zoey made a scandalized noise.

“Well, your Isaac pal is doing some weird zombie stuff!” PJ waved his hands as Max began walking to his room. The brunet glanced back to see that his two relatives weren’t looking before slipping into the small hallways leading to his room.

“What do you mean?”

“Uhm?” PJ hesitated, and Max frowned as his hand reached the doorknob. He turned it slowly, looking back at PJ.

“Well. It’s difficult to explain, Mr Max.”

“What is that supposed to mea-Oh.” Max stopped, door ajar with his hand still resting on the knob. His eyes quickly took in the scene in front of him and he grinned, a snort escaping him.

Isaac wasn’t on the bed anymore. The boy was curled up on the floor, Max’s bedspread curled through the Medium’s limbs in a loose hug. A pillow was laid across his torso, and Hissing Pete was sitting on top of it rather comfortably. Max snorted as Isaac made a small squeaking sound and shifted, a small cloud seeming to stretch from his body and lift into the air with the comical sound of wind rushing past. Max batted at a small fluffy cloud that floated by, and laughed at the water suddenly streaming down his hand. He flicked the cool liquid off as best he could and crossed the room, hitting several clouds and getting pretty damp in the process, kneeling next to Isaac and grinning.

“Is this a thing that’s happening to me?” Max laughed quietly, looking up at PJ. “Do I really have a perfect moment to take photo blackmail?” The brunet didn’t waste a second to do a small backflip and pull his phone from his pocket, snapping a few photos at different angles. He toggled with the buttons and grinned, pressing the record button.

“Heyo, this is a close-up, Isaac. You’re going to kill me later, but, _aww_ , look at how cute you are.” Max focused the camera in on Isaac’s face. “I mean, you’ve already got me back in advance because there are a ton of clouds all over the place, but I can just open the window and try my best to shoo them out, right?”

“ _Max!_ ” Zoey’s voice yelled again. Max flinched and the phone slipped from his hands.

“Oh- whoa- no- stop-!” Max sighed in relief as he caught his cell, a few inches from Isaac’s face.

“... What are you doing, Max?” Isaac’s groggy voice cracked, and Max was surprised that he kept a straight face.

“Nothing.” Max answered nonchalantly. “You good?” Max grinned as Isaac rolled his eyes, frowning.

“How long’ve I been out?”

“Couple of torturously slow hours.”

“Explain that.”

“We’re playing an Improvised Charades.”

“Oh.” Isaac grinned, hand untangling from Max’s comforter to slap over his mouth. “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t _sound_ or _look_ sorry. At all.”

“I’m not.”

“I need more weather-based insults to call you.”

“There’s always the internet.” Isaac laughed and sat up.

“No, man. That ruins the _creativity_.” Max waved his hands wildly in exaggeration.

“I’m pretty sure everything that spews out of your mouth is verbal diarrhea, so-- _mmPH!_ ” Max took a portion of the blanket and tackled Isaac, straddling the ginger through the comforter and smothering him.

“Take it back! The blasphemy you preach isn’t welcome in the Puckett Corner Store!” Max laughed, a large shark grin plastered across his face. Isaac flailed beneath him, and freed one hand. Max’s eyes widened as the boy deliberately gripped the offending boy’s wrist. Blue spectral energy flared up, and a searing pain bounced across his arm in the form of blinding lightning.

Max hissed and fell back, and Isaac sprang up with a grin, snatching the blanket at his feet and pouncing at the brunet.

“Isaa--” Max was cut off as he was covered in his comforter and Isaac slammed into his chest, pinning him to the ground.

“Forfeit, foul spirit.” Isaac ordered, the grin evident in his voice.

“Or what, you spiky anime protag? You’ll _negotiate me_ to death?” Max snorted through the blanket.

“Remember that time I said that I was gonna spraybottle that Sphinx?”

“What of it?”

“I’m so close to doing the same to you. You’re already a little damp. Might as well finish what I unintentionally started, right?”

“You _wouldn’t_ \--” Max flinched when the blanket was removed from his head to see a smirking Isaac with his hand over Max’s head, glowing in spectral energy.

“Oh, I _would_.” Isaac laughed.

“ _Demon_.” Max whispered, feigning mortification.

 

\--Oh Look a Timeskip--

 

“What _took_ you so long-- Max why are you wet.” Zoey stared at the two preteens blankly. Isaac had a victorious smirk on his face, and Max was absolutely dripping with water, looking extremely irritated.

“That sounded more like a statement so I have no obligation to answer it.” Max made a sharp turn to the general direction of the bathroom. “If you’re that curious, you can as Stormageddon over there.” Max spat out, grumbling as he slammed the door.

“Stormageddon.” Isaac frowned. “That’s actually a pretty good name.”

“What happened?” Zoey asked as Isaac sat down on the floor, leaning against the couch.

“I spraybottled the sucker.”

“ _You dumped water on me_.” Max’s voice carried from the bathroom. “ _That was ‘bucketing’ me_.”

Isaac smirked and rolled his eyes, pulled one leg up and resting his arm on his knee.

“What’re we doing?”

“Charades!”

“This is definitely not Charades.”

“No. But we play it to annoy Max, so ‘s’all good.”

“Sounds like my kind of game.”

“ _Isaac_.”

“Oh!” Isaac tilted his head back to see Max glowing at his over the back of the couch. “You’re not still angry, are you?” The ginger smiled sweetly.

“Yes.” Isaac didn’t have any time to react before Max hopped the back of the couch and flipped in front of Isaac. Isaac let out a very manly shriek as he was grabbed at the waist and hoisted over Max and slammed onto the ground behind the brunet. Max shifted and laid down heavily over Isaac’s stomach, leaning on his arms.

“You weigh a ton.” Isaac huffed out.

“Revenge is sweet. Like the tears of my enemies.”

“Max.” Isaac slapped his hand onto his forehead, grinning.

“Dorky bestfriends.” Zoey snapped her fingers.

“I was going to guess that.” Their dad nodded. “They’re good actors.”

“We’re being genuine, here.” Max sighed, staring at the two blankly.

“So, we’re being genuine dorky bestfriends?” Isaac huffed out a laugh.

“Genuine _loose_ bestfriends, sure.”

“Golden Rule, Max.”

“Don’t use my own words against me, cheater.”

“Get up, stupids, so we can play Charades.”

The next hour and a half included a large amount of terrible acting, except in Isaac’s part. He was (un)surprisingly animated and clear in every movement he made. Max could guess whatever he was trying to convey with ease, especially when he had to act out a gay anime protagonist, which made Zoey unconditionally angry after a while.

Zoey had eventually grabbed a pizza box and stormed to her room, making the excuse that she was wasting precious cartoon-watching time. Max’s Dad had laughed and left to go mess with the cash register, no doubt, while Isaac and Max rolled their eyes.

“Hey, man. You haven’t ate anything.” Max stretched and yawned as Isaac answered.

“Uh. Well.”

“Vegetarian? Vegan?”

“Oh. Uh, yeah. Pretty much. How’d…?”

“You come buy and buy those nasty ‘Semi-Vegan Breakfast Bars’ every morning, man. You have a salad everyday for lunch. I’ve never even seen you _touch_ meat, granted I haven’t known you for long. It’s hard _not_ to notice.” Max stood up. “C’mon. I’m pretty sure we have lettuce or something _somewhere_.”

Turns out, they had a lot of vegetables to make a decent salad with. In fact, Max wasn’t sure why he hadn’t noticed all of it when he opened the fridge practically everyday. Five times every day, actually.

However, their plan to make something for Isaac to eat turned out in disaster. The two eventually started messing around with Isaac’s wind powers, making tomatoes and cabbages float in the air. It was fun, but things escalated to a food fight when Isaac launched a eggplant into Max’s face.

“It’s _on_ , buddy boy.” Max laughed, shooting a tomato into Isaac’s forehead before the Medium could react. Isaac laughed, a competitive glint flaring up in his eyes, and he flicked his hands into the air, various vegetables following his movements and flying into the air.

“Okay, that is definitely _not fair_.” Max whined. The brunet ducked as a squash flew past and splattered into the floor behind him.

They weren’t exactly sure how long it lasted. Thirty minutes, most likely, but they abruptly stopped when Zoey shrieked from the kitchen entrance.

“ _What?!_ ” She yelled. The two boys stared at her like deer caught in headlights, then Max looked over at Isaac and snorted, causing the ginger to look over in confusion.

“What?”

“What is this...?! _Dad!_ ” Zoey took off.

“Dude, you--” Max laughed again, walking over to a confused Isaac with a grin. “Bro, you kinda got this… On your head and…” Max reached up and plucked a piece of lettuce from Isaac’s hair, dangling it in front of Isaac’s face. Isaac went crosseyed to focus on the object before he smiled widely.

“Lettuce.”

“Yeah.” Max brandished the greenery like a sword and prodded Isaac’s face. The latter boy just laughed and rolled his eyes, trying in vain to swat Max away. He eventually gave up and bit down on the piece of lettuce, startling Max into letting it go.

“Crazy vegan.” Max laughed as Isaac chewed on the leaf.

“Mmhm.” Isaac hummed.

“Oh, we should probably leave the kitchen before Zoey decides to show back up with the parental unit.”

Max and Isaac slunk down the halls toward Max’s room, sharing the occasional punch or uncontrolled laugh until they reached his room.

“Hello. You two look terrible.” PJ said politely. How could he say something so offensive and sound polite?

“Thanks.” Max grinned, shutting the door. He laughed with Isaac virtually collapsed onto the ground. “Dude, you _just_ woke up.”

“Two hours ago. I’m still _exhausted_.”

“The adrenaline wore off.”

“Obviously.”

“At least change. I’ll throw your clothes in the wash or something. Tomato does not smell nor look good on carpet.” Max crossed the room and dug through his drawers, tossing out a pair of shirt and pants that seemed like they’d fit Isaac. Ah, heck. All of Max’s clothes were pretty loose, they’d _better_ fit Isaac or he was going to be slightly concerned about his own size.

Isaac just groaned loudly and, from Max’s perspective, peeled himself from the ground and snatched up the clothes, trudging to the door, opening it, and making his way to the bathroom. Max followed him with an amused look before turning and picking his clothes and changing quickly. He gathered up his clothes and wondered if it would just be easier to throw the garments away. A loud _thump_ caught his attention, and when he turned he was not surprised to see a Isaac, passed out, on the floor.

“Dude.” Max snorted quietly, grabbing the blanket and and extra pillow. He pretty much extracted Isaac’s head from the ground and shoved a pillow under it. He sighed and laid the comforter over the ginger. “You crazy ‘ol dork.”

Max quite nearly ripped his sheet from his bed and kicked his own pillow until it looked fluffy enough before laying down on the floor and closing his eyes. The lights flicked off and Max smiled.

“Thanks, Lefty.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy crap sorry. I posted this chapter on Tumblr but forgot it on AO3 haha WHOOPS.


	6. Chapter Six: Anime References and Parkour Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max was awakened by a violent shriek.
> 
> Okay, more like a really girly, violent shriek.
> 
> He sat up, eyes wide, honestly expecting to see PJ being eaten or something. So he was honestly a bit confused when he saw Isaac staring, wide-eyed in panic, down at his orange mobile. The day before rushed to him, and he groaned, flopping back down.
> 
> “Wassup?”
> 
> “There’s school today and I need clothes.”
> 
> Max shot up once again. “No way you can use mine.”
> 
> “Too loose! Too awkward!” Isaac groaned, falling over. “Not to mention, my backpack.”
> 
> Well. This was a ‘Class A’ predicament.

Max was awakened by a violent shriek.  
Okay, more like a really _girly_ , violent shriek.  
He sat up, eyes wide, honestly expecting to see PJ being eaten or something. So he was honestly a bit confused when he saw Isaac staring, wide-eyed in panic, down at his orange mobile. The day before rushed to him, and he groaned, flopping back down.  
“Wassup?”  
“ _There’s school today and I need clothes._ ”  
Max shot up once again. “No way you can use mine.”  
“Too loose! Too awkward!” Isaac groaned, falling over. “Not to mention, my _backpack._ ”  
Well. This was a ‘Class A’ predicament.  
“Uhm. Well.” Max tripped over his sheet as he got up. He stumbled to his drawers and picked out two outfits. “These’ll have to suffice for a little while. We can try and get to your house then back to the bus stop before it passes.”  
Isaac looked over at him, shocked for a second. He grinned and laughed, rolling onto his back.  
“Classy.”  
“Very.” Max snorted, throwing a bunched-up t-shirt and jeans onto Isaac’s face. “Get up. You aren’t panicked enough.”  
Isaac stuck his tongue out at Max before grabbing the clothes and actually _rolling_ to the door and opening it. He got up and left the room, leaving a confused and baffled Max behind.  
“That… Yeah. Okay. Just change, Max.” Max shook his head, changing quickly.  
“Mr. Max?” Max jumped at PJ’s voice, and he pulled down his black tee, labeled ‘Literacy Not Here’.  
“Hm?” Max questioned through a hum.  
“Mr. Isaac glows blue.”  
“Well, yeah. That’s the color of his spectral energy, after all.” Max looked over at the ghost as he changed his pants, grinning.  
“No, that’s not what I meant--”  
“Max! Hurry up!” Isaac’s voice called. Max zipped his pants, stuck on his hat, and stumbled to the door, hearing Isaac’s feet running from the bathroom. He laughed and grabbed his baseball bat and backpack, running after the medium.  
“Sorry, PJ, we’ll have to talk later!” The brunet called over his shoulder. He practically hopped down the stairs, trying not to lose his balance. Max stumbled as he landed on the Corner Store floor. He was greeted with the sight of Isaac sitting on the ground, looking shocked and bright pink.  
They stared at each other for a second.  
“... Did you fall down the stairs?”  
“Not like _you_ haven’t before!” Isaac huffed back immediately. Max started cackling as Isaac stood up and growled. He dusted himself off and stormed to the door, snatching a semi-vegan breakfast bar on the way out.  
“You’ve made two mistakes. One, falling down the stairs. Two, grabbing that bar.”  
“Shut uuup, Max.”  
Isaac opened the bar and took it out of the wrapper for the soul reason of chucking the wadded up plastic at the spectral behind him.  
“Hey, littering, c’mon man you’ll anger a recycle spirit or something.”  
“I’m not even sure that exists.” Isaac picked up the pace until the two were jogging up the hill.  
“There was a chameleon-butterfly-slimeball spirit that is now inhabiting a bubble blower. You cannot tell me that a spirit like that doesn’t exist.” Max puffed out. Isaac just made an amused sort of snorting noise.  
The pair lapsed into a slightly comfortable silence, and Max was a little jealous that the spirits seemed to quickly move to get out of Isaac’s way, whereas the other had to jump or swerve to get around. There was a stifled laugh as Max hurtled over a particularly large spirit, and the brunet looked up, already glaring at a giggling Isaac. The medium was now turned around with his hand on his hip, leaning slightly to the left.  
“Are we _there_ yet?” Max huffed out. The ginger just laughed in response, nodding his head.  
“You wait here. I’ll get my stuff and we can try to make it to the bus stop.”  
Max frowned, looking around. They were in the middle of a street. His attention was drawn from that fact when Isaac, with a strange look of pain on his face, scrambled up a tree and kneeled on a thick branch.  
“Whoa, wait, man! Where are you going?” Max asked, running to the base of the tree. Isaac looked down and grinned, raising his arm to point at the top of the hill.  
“My house.” And with that, he pushed upwards and with a pretty impressive gust of wind, shot into the air. Max backed up quickly, staring up at the sky. He laughed incredulously as Isaac did a twist and flipped as his silhouette shot down into a forest.  
“Geez, man.” Max slung his backpack onto the ground and dug his cell phone from his bag, scrolling down his contacts until he came to ‘Max’s Girlfriend’. He snorted at the name that Isaac put down before quickly changing it to ‘Stormageddon’.  
Monday, 6:29 AM: Dude, that was unnecessarily majestic.  
Monday, 6:31 AM: _You’re welcome._  
Monday, 6:32 AM: How was your landing, Weather Princess?  
Monday, 6:33 AM: _Sparkles, beautiful autumn colored leaves flying, and me landing on my feet with my eyes closed and a grin. It was really Precure. I think some spirits are applauding my grace._  
Monday, 6:33 AM: You better be on the way to your house, Cure Weather. _  
_Monday, 6:34 AM: _ _I am._  
_ Monday, 6:34 AM: _ _Wait. Why do you know what Precure is?_  
_ Monday, 6:36 AM _: _Max. Why do you know what Pretty Cure is?_  
_ Max paused, staring at his phone. He licked his lips and glanced down the road. He’d never admit that Zoey forced him to watch HeartCatch Pretty Cure with her. He was sort of okay with it. Erika’s personality made him laugh a couple times.  
Monday, 6:37 AM: _If you don’t answer, you’re going down as Cure Magnet in my phone._  
Monday, 6:40 AM: _Three strikes you’re out._  
Monday, 6:41 AM _: And by three strikes I mean three minutes._  
Monday, 6:43 AM: _I’m on my way back._  
Monday, 6:44 AM: Good. Hurry up.  
The brunet snapped his phone closed and dropped it back in his bag as a blur of orange and dark green flashed into the sky in his peripheral. He had barely secured he backpack when Isaac landed, a bit heavily, in the grass. Max could’ve swore he saw the medium flinch, but it was gone so quickly he couldn’t be sure.  
“Hey there, Cure Magnet. Ready to go?” Isaac smirked, sticking his hands in his pockets and leaning forward tauntingly.  
“I think I just sprained my eyeballs from rolling them.” Max turned and faced the downhill expanse, reaching back and grabbing the portion of his scooter sticking from his backpack. “But nevermind your crazy anime antics. Care for some parkour?” He turned his head and grinned. Isaac’s mouth straightened into a line, but his eyes sparkled in amusement.  
“Yeah, sure.”  
“Good. You never had a choice in the first place. I was just being uncharacteristically courteous.” Max snapped his scooter open dramatically and pinned it to the ground with his foot.  
“If you keep rejecting this really stupid friendship we’re developing, it’s going to bite you in the back.”  
“In the form of electricity?”  
“That, or frost.”  
“How pleasant of you.” Max rolled his eyes, kicking off lightly. That’s all he needed, luckily, because he was quickly hurtling down a hill. Max pressed down and jumped, pulling his scooter up and to the side of him as he flew over a large spirit. Bringing his hands back down, he landed heavily on the deck. The sound of wind and a loud _thump_ from behind alerted Max to the fact that Isaac was shortly behind.  
Max laughed a little and turned his head, sticking his tongue out at the ginger behind him. Isaac glowered and made a finger gun, pointing it at Max’s scooter. It crackled with lightning and Max had barely any time to swerve as a long, bent rod of blue lightning cracked down on the pavement.  
“Alright, alright!” Max called behind him. “I may or may not be completely not sorry about the rude behaviour that I could or could not have been or still am exhibiting toward you!”  
“Stop being vague, that wasn’t even close to any sort of apology, you zygote!”  
“Oo, that’s harsh. I’m feeling offended.” Max pushed on the ground again, the bottom of the deck grinding against the railing as he scaled past a group of small spirits. He yelped a little as a strong blast of air nearly knocked him off the railing, but he succeeded in landing on his two wheels. “ _Isaac!_ ” The brunet complained, looking over to see Isaac flipping over the same group of spirits. The playful look on the ginger’s face clearly said _I’m not sorry._  
Grumbling about injustices and betrayal, Max clicked his scooter closed and jumped, flipping over a small car parked on the side of the road. He fully planned on landing on his scooter, but Isaac beat him, shooting over with unnatural quickness and clicking the handlebar up with his feet. He gripped the scooter and saluted Max before taking off.  
“Why you little…” Max shot after him, gravity and momentum threatening to pull him down. The brunet whipped out his bat, but couldn’t get a good enough aim, as he had to fix his balance by doing flips and turning on occasion. By the time the spectral caught up to the medium, he’d given up and shoved his bat, with difficulty, back into his bag. Max puffed out breath, and Isaac had either noticed or was getting bored with the scooter, because a strong gust of wind had them swapped places again.  
“Jump.” Isaac’s voice carried from beside him.  
“Why?” Max asked, not glancing over.  
“Just _jump!_ ” Isaac’s urgency shocked Max into obeying, and the brunet gasped as Isaac pushed his hands forward and a gale sent the pair shooting through the air. Max instinctively turned his scooter to the side. He stiffened for a split second when a second pair of feet joined him on his scooter, and hands latched to his bag, but knowing it was Isaac made him loosen.  
The scooter’s wheels hit the ground and skidded with a loud squealing sound, and the brunet was packing up his transportation right as the bus rounded the corner. Isaac grinned, looking ten times more victorious than he should’ve been feeling.  
“Hardcore parkour.”  
“Isaac I will deck you if you ever say that again.” Max warned the grinning medium. The bus slowed, the brakes making a high-pitched noise of distress as it tried to halt the tremendous weight.  
“At least give me a little credit.” Isaac looked back and smiled at Max as he climbed the bus stairs. The two shuffled to the back, Max feeling sudden relief to see Suzy and Collin not on the bus. Isaac sat down in an empty seat, and Max followed heavily. The medium looked over at him in surprise, as if he wasn’t expecting to be sat with.  
“Yeah, I’ll give you a little cred, weatherboy.” Max snarked out, reaching over and pushing Isaac’s face like he would with Zoey. Isaac choked out a shocked laugh and flushed a light pink, batting Max’s hand away.  
“Whatever, turf head.”  
“Ah, that’s a new one. Kudos.”  
“Stop trying to have the last word.”  
“No.”  
“You’re such a kid.”  
“If you don’t stop, this conversation will keep getting more and more ridiculous as I try to insert my birth-given alpha role.”  
Isaac snorted out a laugh, but kept his mouth shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow look I actually posted on AO3 omg  
> (("APOLOGIZE" BLARES IN THE BACKGROUND AS I LAUGH))  
> Nah I'm actually sorry  
> sorrysorry
> 
> (btw idk if the last half is italicized or not but when I preview it, the entire last part is just _Wow Hi Nick we're gonna make the entire thing exaggerated yeyeyeye_ so sorry if it is, I dunno why it's doin that.)
> 
> (Never mind I fixed the Italics)


	7. Chapter Seven: Isaac's the Coolest and Flower Names

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The bus ride to school, was, surprisingly enough, quite uneventful compared to the beginning of the two boy’s days. It started off with Isaac grumbling in annoyance every time the bus would hit a bump, but his mood would lighten with Max’s insistent teasing about Isaac being a fragile little flower.
> 
> “You’re all quivering over there. Oh! I think we hit a pebble! You okay, Isaac?” Max drawled out teasingly. The ginger groused under his breath, trying to hide an amused grin as he slugged his companion’s shoulder.

The bus ride to school, was, surprisingly enough, quite uneventful compared to the beginning of the two boy’s days. It started off with Isaac grumbling in annoyance every time the bus would hit a bump, but his mood would lighten with Max’s insistent teasing about Isaac being a fragile little flower.  
“You’re all quivering over there. Oh! I think we hit a pebble! You okay, Isaac?” Max drawled out teasingly. The ginger groused under his breath, trying to hide an amused grin as he slugged his companion's shoulder.  
“Is that cinnamon and blueberry?” Max asked, rubbing his shoulder. Isaac looked over at him quizzically.  
“What?”  
“Maybe just blueberry. Blueberry bagels.”  
“Oh my go--”  
“Soaked in dishwater for a couple hours along with a few dirty pots.”  
“ _Max_.” Isaac groaned in exasperation, banging his forehead against the window.  
“A flower with wet bagel leaves. Such a sight is otherworldly. So attractive.”  
“Oh, yes. Don’t forget the orange petals.”  
“Did you hear? The rare Nerdilis Unpopulatoria only grows on clouds.”  
“I think I just sprained my eyeballs from rolling them so hard.”  
“Aw, don’t hurt your pretty blue eyes.” Max snorted out snarkily. There was a second of shocked silence when both parties processed what he’d just said.  
“Oh. Wait.” The brunet coughed out awkwardly. “I, uh. Didn’t.”  
“No, it’s fine.” Isaac held up his hands, waving them side to side in a quick dismissal. They stared at each other for a second before simultaneously turning away.  
A portion of the bus ride after was spent with Max staring at his phone as he flipped it open and closed, and Isaac staring out the window with the occasional complaint when the bus ran over something.  
Isaac’s pocket vibrated, and the medium looked down in confusion. He pulled his orange mobile, eyebrows creasing when he saw the contact name. Isaac glanced over at the brunet next to him, who happened to be pointedly adverting his attention toward cleaning an imaginary smudge off his bat.  
Turning his attention back to his phone, Isaac flicked it open and checked the message.  
Monday, 7:38 AM: You are a beautiful little flower.  
Isaac caught Max smirking in his peripheral, the gesture alone making the medium stifle a laugh. His fingers trembled from his pent-up laughter as he typed his reply.  
Monday, 7:38 AM: _The most beautiful, thank you. Are you going to put me in a vase and stare at me?_  
Monday, 7:39 AM: Depends on if you’re an interesting flower. Can you do tricks?  
Monday, 7:39 AM: _Oh, yeah, definitely. I generate lightning. Want a sample?_  
Isaac grinned out the window as he heard Max choke on something as he tried to contain a laugh.  
Monday, 7:39 AM: No, thanks.  
Monday, 7:40 AM: _Look up from your phone, Magnetotis Dorkaphelia. We’re at school._  
Max snapped his phone shut and braced his hand against the front of the seat as the bus lurched to a stop. He chuckled a little as Isaac grimaced when the brakes squealed.  
The two stood, and Isaac shrieked as Max was pushed into him by someone passing by in the aisle. The kid muttered an apology over their shoulder, but Max was too busy laughing at the fact that he was squishing Isaac into the window, and that Isaac’s face was priceless.  
“Max _you_ \--”  
The brunet frowned as the smell of ozone flooded his nose. Instinct kicked in, and he flipped to the seat in front of him as blue sparks bounced from Isaac’s skin and onto the metal of the bus. Max grinned as there was a startled shriek from the front of the bus as a couple girls screamed about the bus shocking them.  
“Isaac, man.” Max nudged the said medium with his fist, surprised to find that the leftover static didn’t hurt as much as he thought it would. “You’re gonna blow up the bus.”  
“Good riddance.” Isaac huffed temperamentally.  
“No. I need the bus. It’s the only semi-normal part of my day.” Max told him flatly, climbing onto the top of the seat.  
“Max. What are you doing.”  
“Statements are not meant to be answered.”  
“Max.”  
“I’m goin’ Mission Impossible. What do _you_ think?” Max looked back with a smirk as he stood up on the back of the seat, slightly shaking.  
“I think you’re being a delinquent.”  
“You coming or what?” Max extended his hand jokingly, ignoring the sudden increase in glares he was receiving.  
“ _I can show you the world…_ ”  
“Isaac.”  
“Okay, okay.” Isaac groused something about never agreeing to this health-endangering friendship before accepting his offer, allowing himself to be pulled up onto the back of the seat.  
“What’re you two doing?! Get down!” A girl yelled. Isaac stuck out his tongue, Max laughing a little as they hopped from seat to seat. The two jumped down at the front of the bus aisle, cutting a majority of the other kids. The pair feigned innocence as the substitute bus driver looked back at them in confusion.  
“And hence…” Max muttered when their shoes hit the school’s concrete. “The two spectrals survived the bus and angered everyone in the process.”  
“Without getting caught, might I add.” Isaac hummed, sticking his hands behind his head and grinning.  
“That’s all that matters in the System.”  
“What system?”  
“The System of the Game.”  
“What game?”  
“The Game of Life.”  
“... I’m not sure if that was deep or incredibly stupid.” Isaac told him bluntly.  
“A little of both, said the wise man.” Max patted his hand over his heart, pushing the school doors open.  
“A wise man?”  
“Or my father. Both self-proclaimed titles work.”  
“He is definitely not a wise man.”  
“No, but one can pretend.”  
The two came to an abrupt stop when entering the cafeteria. People were sitting around at tables, and loitering in front of the lunch counters.  
“Should we go--”  
“To the Activity Room?” Isaac finished his question with a smirk. “No. That’s Edsabel territory at the beginning of the day. You don’t want to meet a grumpy Isabel during morning patrol. Trust me.”  
The duo slid into an empty table, the group behind them playing an obnoxiously loud game of poker.  
“So, only Ed is allowed near her in the morning?” Max asked, correcting his hat with a raised eyebrow.  
“Well, no. But not even Spender can stand being around Isabel for too long when she’s tired. She starts picking fights. Ed is the only one she won’t try to annihilate every five seconds. Therefore, Edsabel Territory.” Isaac shrugged. “Or, as they call it, _SuperScroll Zone Five Thousand_.”  
“Charming.” Max drawled, picking up a small forgotten syrup packet and fiddling with the ends. Isaac pulled a notebook from his backpack and clicked his pen open. They lapsed into a semi-comfortable silence. Even when Max noticed that it wasn’t awkward, and became concerned at how natural it was, it never ceased being comfortable.  
His thoughts were jarred to a violent halt, however, when he realized how _impossible_ the syrup packet was being.  
“It won’t open!” Max exclaimed, causing Isaac to jump a tad. The ginger looked up from a page full of silly guinea pig doodles to see his friend trying to tear at the plastic pouch of syrup.  
“Let me try.” Isaac set down his pen and held out his hand. Max eyed him in a teasing wariness.  
“You’ll fry it, Lightning Pants.”  
Isaac flushed a light pink in frustration and embarrassment.  
“I-I will not! Give it!”  
“Chill, Static Cling. Here, give it a go.” Max snickered, tossing the package despite Isaac’s extended hand, causing the him to yelp and slap his hands together around the syrup.  
The medium sent Max a scathing glare before tugging at the corner of the syrup. All he succeeded in doing was stretching and snapping the corner off the packet.  
The two shared a snort in somewhat annoyed amusement before Isaac tried tearing it from the other side.  
When it didn’t work, Isaac coughed out a laugh in frustration.  
“Wh-What _is_ this?” He questioned in disbelief. Max answered, although it was an obvious rhetorical question.  
“Syrup.” Max deadpanned. Isaac looked up slowly, his eyes giving off that sharp _are you kidding me?_ look.  
“Oh _really_ , Max?! I thought it was _really hot honey!_ ” Isaac exclaimed, shaking the packet in front of a laughing Max’s face. “Not like it says _SYRUP_ in bold lettering on it, or anything!”  
Max bent over and hid his reddening face when Isaac tossed the syrup over his shoulder, it landing violently on the card game being played, recently changed to Solitaire, and scattering the deck. Max gulped back his giggling, but looking up at Isaac’s face made him lose all the air he was trying to hold in the form of a boisterous laugh. The other students formerly playing Solitaire were wailing in remorse, but Isaac looked unfazed.  
“You’re such a mean person.” Max chuckled.  
“Your _face_.”  
“Not only is that a completely cliche comeback, it’s also very lame. I’m disappointed.”  
“Yeah well, I’m no expert at comebacks but neither are you, you pipecleaner.”  
“Some respect has been restored.”  
“I called you a _pipecleaner_. That is possibly the most uncreative thing that’s ever come out of my mouth.”  
“But nobody uses pipecleaners for what they were intended for, anymore.”  
“You’re sort of insulting yourself, now?”  
“No potential friend of _mine_ will have no confidence in their seemingly-lame-and-kinda-stupid insults.” Max flicked the bill of his hat upwards.  
“Oh, so I’m a _potential_ friend, am I?” Isaac raised an eyebrow, a seemingly smug smirk plastered on his face.  
“Well, you could be a _kinetic_ friend, too, I suppose.”  
“You’re ridiculous!” Isaac laughed, the bell ringing harshly. The two stood, gathering their things as groaning and moaning kids filed slowly toward their first class.  
“I’m headed that way.” Isaac pointed in the nearly exact opposite direction Max was going, which made the brunet a tad irritated.  
“Sweet. I’m going the opposite. Stay lame, meteorologist.”  
“Whatever, Maxnetic.” Isaac rolled his eyes, turning and walking away. Max, not wanting to look like a creeper, turned quickly and strode to his first class.  
The day went as usual. His first few classes still had those unnaturally _strange_ teachers, Johnny and him almost got into another fight, and he’d accidentally ran into Collin from the Journalism Club. He wasn’t all that bad a guy.  
Math was, well, _Math_. She’d began talking about the Pythagorean Theorem, but Max had spaced out nearly the entire time. He’d snapped from his trance a few times to have Johnny prodding at him, or Ms What’s-Her-Face screaming like a Banshee.  
English was… English. Mr Starchman was crazy ecstatic per usual. Max had earned a Starchman Star, but he wasn’t exactly sure _why_ or _how_ he’d done it.  
In Science, people were giggling their granny pants off, in Max’s opinion, because they were starting _that_ unit. He’d admit the subject could make him a tad uncomfortable, but he wasn’t in the back corner drawing pictures in his notebook and sniggering about everything said.  
Max sighed at the relief he felt when he dropped off his science textbook at his locker, snatching up his history book and making his way towards his last class.  
This class was always somewhat eventful. Considering Spender had the mindset of himself being the next James Bond, he always tended to say or do mysterious things that would’ve been cool in a cheesy action movie, but not in real life.  
“Hello, Maxwell.” Spender greeted him at the door.  
“Just Max.” Max held up a hand.  
“Ready for class?”  
“Dude, I’mma tune you out.” Max slid past his teacher.  
“I’ll be sure to remember that. Hello, Jacob, Jaxon…”  
Spender’s voice drifted off as Max took a seat in the far back corner next to the window. Max stared blankly at the two boys who came in after him. One talked with Spender for a bit, while the other practically bounced over to a group of six in the opposite corner.  
The bell shrilled harshly, and Max was vaguely aware that the topic of cowboys had come up. His interest was slightly piqued when he saw a class file outside, a science teacher motioning toward objects as the class crowded around him.  
Max grinned a tad, catching the sight of Isaac in the back of the crowd. The boy was facing away from the group and scuffing his shoe against the pavement.  
Glancing up at Spender, who was debating with a guy named Niko about some sort of historical figure, Max reached down and slid his bat from his bag.  
“Please tell me you have something magnetic on you…” Max muttered, aiming his bat out the window and toward the gloomy-looking weather medium outside.  
The stupid thought that he should name this crossed his mind. He’d used his magnetism on Isaac quite a bit. Isaac Maneuvering? The _Pantser?_  
Max shoved the thoughts from his head with a snort as his bat whirred quietly. Watching Isaac, he grinned as the ginger’s face contorted into bewilderment before he stumbled forward. He looked up, and Max jerked his bat to the side, stifling a laugh as Isaac followed the movement. He hid his grin in his hand, shoving his bat back in his bag as Isaac scanned the windows. Max waved and snickered when Isaac’s face lit up in recognition. However, it darkened quickly when Isaac realized exactly _how_ Max got his attention, and the brunet couldn’t help but laugh in shock when Isaac made a particularly rude hand gesture.  
“Wow. I’m not sure I can handle your antics.”  
Max jumped and looked over, seeing Isabel doodling in her history spiral. She looked up at him with a grin.  
“You two good?”  
“I’d say not. Unless, of course, you’re a cannibal.”  
“Max.” Isabel gave him a flat look.  
“Define _good_.” Max deadpanned, turning back and grinning as Isaac threw a pebble, hitting the window.  
“He has a short fuse.” Isabel informed lazily.  
“No thanks to you, I presume.”  
“Nope!” Isabel slid to to the seat in front of Max, waving at Isaac through the window. The medium, in turn, stared at them in undisguised irritation. Max could see blue puffing off of him in waves before he turned and stomped away, sparks flying off of him. The pair watched him, both scoffing.  
“He’s gonna end up hurting someone one day.”  
“Yeah.” Isabel agreed, scribbling out a few things before ripping a piece of paper out and folding it up. She handed it to Max, who took it with a blank expression. “Give that to Isaac when he’s being _outrageously gay_. Or when he’s mad.”  
“Why. Is it Florida Snow?”  
“No! What is it with you and drugs? Everyone in the Activity Club is clean. Including Ed.”  
“No, man. Ed _has_ to be on _something_.”  
“Yes.” Isabel grinned. “Wingdings, macaroni sandwiches, and kool-aid.” She giggled.  
“Hm.” Max thought for a second. “So, I heard you’re quite the IsaMonster in the morning.” He hummed.  
“Oh, yeah. I’m not a morning person. Or a night person. I’m not really a person, actually.”  
“Maybe a war goddess?”  
“What do you think ‘Guerra’ means?”  
“Graham cracker.”  
“No, you racist.”  
“How is that--?”  
“It means _war_.” Isabel pounded her fists together with a creepy smile. Max stared at her, face expressionless. He opened and closed his mouth a couple times before answering.  
“I. Wow. How… Suitable.”  
“What does ‘Puckett’ mean?” Isabel smirked, fully aware it didn’t have any imminent meaning.  
“Fence.” Max deadpanned immediately, Isabel gave him a startled stare.  
“Fence…?”  
“Yes. As in ‘Picket Fence’.”  
There was a moment of silence.  
“I’m… Not entirely sure how to reply to _that_ one.”  
“Yes, well--”  
“Maxwell, Isabel.” The two looked up as they were called. “How did--”  
“It wasn’t me! I have an alibi!” Isabel shouted. Max smirked at the obvious _Why_ Face Spender was giving her.  
“Okay…” He drawled, not sure how to react. “I was going to ask how cowboys and ranches marked their cattle, but--”  
“They papier Mâché ‘em.” Isabel cut in.  
“N-No, they--”  
“ _They paint ‘em black!_ ” Ed sang, running past the door.  
“Ed! Get to class!” Spender yelled out the door, the class in hysterics. Pealing laughter bounced through the halls.  
“But I gotta _whizz_ Mr S!”  
“I physically and mentally cannot handle this school.” Max muttered.  
“It gets worse.” Isabel cooed.  
“Oh yeah. Thanks for making me feel better.” He cut out sarcastically, shoving his stuff into his bag as the bell rang.  
“It makes you feel _batter?_ ” Isabel grinned creepily again as she stood up. Max slung his backpack over his shoulder before it hit him. He looked up at her slowly.  
“Why.”  
“Get with it, Max. Puns are the future.”  
“You’re a toolbox.”  
“No, that would be your boyfriend.”  
“Does it hurt to have paper for brains?”  
“I hope you cut the inside of your mouth with that tongue of yours.”  
Isabel split from him at the door, her and Ed already laughing about how he skipped class. Despite the conversation being over, Max felt himself flush pink. _Boyfriend_. Why was she so _stuck_ on that?  
The brunet growled as he opened his locker, shoving in his textbook.  
“Someone’s irritated.” The voice made him inwardly jump, but he proceeded in closing his locker, seemingly unfazed.  
“Why is Isabel so firm on us being a thing.”  
“Maybe you should ask instead of demand.”  
“Insert question mark.”  
Isaac snorted as Max turned, leaning against his locker.  
“I just think she’s trying to get under your skin.”  
“I don’t have enough sandbags to hold off the storm surge of her crazy.”  
Isaac laughed shortly, joining Max in leaning against the lockers. People passed by, and some looked at them strangely.  
“We should probably check up on the A-Club.”  
“Okay, sorry, but you just made a left turn at eccentric and are heading towards outright psychotic.”  
“What??” Isaac made a face.  
“Unless you want a secretly angry preteen with a possessed bat on your hands, I suggest you let the Puckett chill for a spell.”  
“Too much Isabel and Suzy?” His companion gave him a sympathetic smile.  
“Too much Isabel. Suzy wasn’t here today, which worries me. I’m checking my house for cameras when I get home.”  
After a little laughter from Isaac, the two lapsed into silence, watching the halls slowly empty as kids left for their buses. After a minute or so of lazy silence, Isaac yawned loudly, making Max simper at him.  
“Way to ruin the sappy feeling of companionship.”  
“Oh, hush up.” Isaac batted away a poisonous tadpole-like spirit with a flyswatter made from his blue spectral energy. It shrieked, diverting it’s path away from the boys, who watched it wriggle away with bemusement.  
“ _Retreeeaat…!_ ” It squealed. Max and Isaac watched it gather up more tadpole spirits, screaming in a small voice about injustices.  
“Should we…?” Isaac pointed toward the direction of the Activity room.  
“Yes.” Max nodded quickly, already heading in that direction, dragging Isaac away from the scene by the sleeve of his shirt. An army was already beginning to form.  
\--Oh Look a Time Skip--  
“So then he droned on about flowers for the next half hour--”  
“Sounds _bittersweet_.” Max cut in, staring at Isaac expectantly.  
He wasn’t disappointed. Isaac screeched to a halt right in front of the Activity Club door. He went still, staring ahead for a moment. Turning, he gave Max his best _Are You Serious_ Look.  
“I hate you.” Isaac sounded incredulous and a tad hysterical as he reached for the door handle.  
“ _My only love, sprung from my only hate_.”  
“Did you seriously just quote _Romeo and Juli_ \--whoa.”  
“Juliwhoa--? Whoa.”  
The boys stared through the open door, disbelief and horror covering their features. The room was swamped with paper and ink. The two simultaneously groaned at the strobe lights flashing from the ceiling. Ed was suspended in the air, making swimming motions as paper carried him throughout the room. Isabel was laughing obnoxiously as she made random objects and animals with her paper. Mr Spender sat at his desk grading papers, his foot tapping to the beat that his lights were making. The blonde teacher looked up in surprise, then smiled, almost embarrassed, and snapped his fingers. The lights shut off, making Isabel and Ed whine and pounce on his desk in protest.  
“Maxwell, Isaac. Good to see you came.” He smiled as if what was going on was perfectly normal, when he obviously knew it was not.  
“I’m completely done with this Club.” Max threw his hands in the air, black spectral energy flaring up around his figure. Four pairs of eyes were fastened on him as he almost accusingly, pointed at Isaac. “ _Isaac_ is _officially_ the _only other cool person_ in this club besides _me_.”  
“I’m slightly offended.” Ed laughed, sitting up on his paper mass.  
“You don’t _sound_ offended.” Isabel pointed out, grinning.  
“Well, that’s ‘cause I’m lyin’!”  
“Max.” Isaac whispered as the three went back to their former activities. The strobe lights flicked back on. “Can we go home now?”  
“Please.” Max grumbled, staring in wide-eyed concern at the rest of the Activity Club.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I liked this chapter. Just saying.


	8. Chapter Eight: The Isabel Plan and Love Letters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m gonna do it.” Isabel pounded her fists together, a scary smile on her face.  
> “‘S gon’ backfire.” Ed replied, glancing up from his television.  
> “Oh, yeah. That backfire’ll give me a third degree burnin’.” She laughed confidently. “But we can take both those dweebs on if worst come to worst. Does this look like the face of a worried Isabel?” The circled her palm around her face, sitting down heavily on her friend’s bed.  
> “Up… Down… Left, oh, no, left you _directionally challenged fool_.” Ed mashed the buttons violently on his controller. “And, I really couldn’t tell if you did look concerned or not. All your facial expressions come across as violently creepy.”  
>  “Fo’ sho.” Isabel nodded in affirmation. “You got a utensil for writing? ‘Cause I got some hands and some paper itching to write some serious writings.”  
> “What type of writings?”  
> “The type of writings that’ll make or break a friendship.”

“I’m gonna do it.” Isabel pounded her fists together, a scary smile on her face.  
“‘S gon’ backfire.” Ed replied, glancing up from his television.  
“Oh, yeah. That backfire’ll give me a third degree burnin’.” She laughed confidently. “But we can take both those dweebs on if worst come to worst. Does this look like the face of a worried Isabel?” The circled her palm around her face, sitting down heavily on her friend’s bed.  
“Up… Down… Left, oh, no, left you _directionally challenged fool_.” Ed mashed the buttons violently on his controller. “And, I really couldn’t tell if you did look concerned or not. All your facial expressions come across as violently creepy.”  
“Fo’ sho.” Isabel nodded in affirmation. “You got a utensil for writing? ‘Cause I got some hands and some paper itching to write some serious writings.”  
“What type of writings?”  
“The type of writings that’ll make or break a friendship.”  
“Truly the scribings of a war goddess.”  
“What can I say? You either soar or go to war.”  
“All I got with me is my trusty steed.” Ed pulled his paintbrush from his lap.  
“Nah, nah.” Isabel shook her head. “I can’t use that.”  
“Check the Ed Reservoir.” The blond suggested, pointing under his bed.  
“If I find another meatball sandwich I will make you eat it.”  
“Okay, nevermind.” Ed quickly paused the game and ducked his head under his bed. “I’ll check the Ed Reservoir. You sit tight, Pretty Izzy.”  
“Mmhm.” Isabel’s eyebrows rose in amusement as she watched her friend dig through the underside of his bed. He dug around for a good minute before laughing triumphantly. The painter sat up, brandishing a black and blue pen, along with a few pink markers.  
“Oh, Ed.” Isabel took the two pens and hugged them to her chest, giving him a smile. “You know me so well.”  
“I’d sure hope so. I pretty much _live_ with you.”  
“You _do_ live with me.” Isabel and Ed gave each other flat looks.  
“Right.” Ed held up the pink markers. “You wanna know what these badboys are for?”  
“I’m scared to ask.”  
“No you aren’t.”  
“ _Heck no I’m not_. What’re you going to do?” She slung an arm over his shoulder, staring at the markers expectantly.  
“I have a stash of these babies. They’re getting drained in the bathtub and I’m going to bathe myself in pink.”  
“What? Why??”  
“Valentines Day is but a fortnight away, Princess Isabel! I shall _woo_ you with my flashy pink alien skin!”  
Isabel laughed at him incredulously, rolling back onto his bed.  
“Oh, boy! You’re going to get ink poisoning!”  
“Jokes on you, Izzy! You forget I am constantly covering in ink.” Ed punctuated his statement by swiping his paintbrush down his face, splitting his face in half with black ink. He paused to allow Isabel to regain her breath before he drew all over his face once more.  
\--Oh Look and Timeskip--  
“Targets acquired.” Isabel whispered, narrowing her eyes.  
“Date of Attack: Friday. February fourteenth. Valentines Day. Cupid’s arrow is locked and loaded for some serious booty shooty.”  
Isabel looked over at her bright pink friend, smiling. “I’m still not over the fact that you’re getting away with being pink.”  
“When one has arrows that can make you fall for a chalkboard, you learn not to mess with pink hearts and little chubby angels.”  
The two stared at each other before collapsing into hysterical laughter. Ed slapped the table mercilessly, laughing for the soul purpose that Isabel was laughing, therefor he shall laugh as well. Isabel was genuinely laughing at the thought of Spender falling in love and hitting on a chalkboard.  
“Oop! Izzy! Abort! Abort! We’ve been spotted!” Ed placed a hand on Isabel’s head, who immediately shut up in mid-laugh and turned toward the targeted table.  
Max and Isaac were staring at them with a mix of disbelief, disgust (in Isaac’s case), and bemusement. Ed and Isabel responded to their looks by waving innocently, which made the two look at each other for a second, as if telepathically deciding on something, before turning back to the other Activity members and both giving them a thumbs down.  
Isabel and Ed exhaled, laughing a little.  
For the last two weeks, Isabel, Ed, and a couple other people had been watching Max and Isaac interact. They’d established that it could get extremely ridiculous at times. For their observations, Isaac had spent the night at the Puckett’s at least five times. Luckily, they didn’t do any serious spectral business. Isabel found it hard to think of excuses to their partners-in-crime about why Isaac could yawn and a window would blow out.  
Ed pulled a notebook from his backpack, and flipped it open. Tally marks and columns lined the paper.  
Max and Isaac had ran home in the rain twice, came to school in flower crowns once, messed around with their spectral energy in the corner of the Activity Room twice, went on morning patrol together ten times, and rolled down hills too many times to count.  
All was documented by what was seen, or heard in conversations. Isabel didn’t doubt the two of them did other stupid things in their free time as well. Isaac had once alluded to a food fight, but neither boys clarified.  
“I’m not sure how to feel about their relationship.” Ed mused, watching as Max took off his hat and basically smothered Isaac’s face with it.  
“I know _exactly_ how I feel about it.” Isabel rolled her eyes. “They get along so well.”  
“They get along very well… It’s almost…” Ed grinned at Isabel, who mirrored the gesture.  
“ _Paranatural_.” They both rang simultaneously. The bell shrieked as soon as the two burst into laughter.  
“Right.” Isabel and Ed stood, and the brunette checked her pocket. “You got the goods?”  
“Checked and tacked to the inside of my trench coat.”  
“You got the Weather Dweeb, I got the Bat Nerd.”  
“We got this.”  
Isaac gave them the look when he and Max passed them.  
“Oh, he’s onto us.” Isabel murmured.  
“When is he not?”  
“Valid.”  
\--Oh Look a POV Swap--  
Max could admit that he made it to his locker a lot slower than usual. However, he’d not admit that it was his fault. Not entirely, anyways. Max grimaced and rubbed his shoulder. He could still feel the sharp prick of electricity spread across his upper arm. So maybe splashing Isaac with his water bottle was a questionable idea. The look on his face was somewhat worth it, though.  
Opening his locker, he immediately paused. An obnoxiously pink note was lying on top of his history textbook. Max took a second to lean back and check the hall around him before leaning back in and picking up the paper.  
“Why am I feeling a sudden foreboding…?” Max muttered, unfolding the creased paper. He stood there for a second, reading the note.  
Then he reread it.  
“What.” He deadpanned. “Is this. Are they. I.”  
The warning bell rang and Max hurriedly shoved the note in his pocket. The last line of the letter ringing spitefully loud in his head.  
 _Please meet me at the baseball field after school._  
\--Oh Look Another Timeskip--  
The day dragged slowly after that. Max sat in the far corners of all his classes. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t imagine all the possibilities of the note.  
He seemed more in favor of it being Isaac. It was really obnoxious and in blue pen that matched his eyes-- _whoa there buddy let’s not stray to that territory._  
Eventually in History, after several hundreds of times of snapping his thought from the note, he was relieved with the random thought of Zoey and Dad.  
Somehow, this morning, Zoey had convinced Dad to take her to the mall and fireworks show for Valentines Day. Max had promptly declined right when Isaac walked in the store-- _why did he notice Isaac walked in at that exact moment?_  
That meant Max had control over the shop until well after midnight. Those two could stay up for days on end. His mind graciously allowed him to come up with various activities to keep him busy for a small duration of the time afterwards. Max was subconsciously aware that Isabel had slid in the seat in front of his while Spender was facing away and starting talking about something. The boy had promptly elected to ignore her pesterings, looking out the window. He had a momentary inward panic when he saw Isaac, and the rest of his class, and his chest tightened, but he quickly swallowed it down, grinning and knocking on the window.  
He didn’t notice that Isabel’s chatter had stopped, only smiling wider when Isaac looked up from the pavement with an obvious _Help Me_ Look on his face. Max raised an eyebrow, and the medium replied by pointing at the rest of his class. The brunet snorted, eyes widening when he saw they were all chasing butterflies, including the teacher.  
“I remember when you wouldn’t even talk to him in the hall during passing period.” Isabel’s voice cut through his head like a scalpel, and he turned to glare at her in unamusement.  
“I don’t even see him during passing period.”  
“ _Lies~!_ ” Max jumped, turning and seeing Suzy slide into the chair next to Isabel. “I’ve seen you two talking.”  
“Suzy’s my informant.” Isabel grinned, and the two highfived. “Here, babe. I got the pictures you wanted.” The brunette handed a stack of pictures that looked suspiciously like Spender doing embarrassing things over to Suzy, who snatched them with a delighted squeal.  
“Ah! Thanks!”  
“When did you two come out of the closet?” Max asked blandly.  
“ _We_ aren’t dating, but you and Isaac are.” Suzy tisked, and Max tugged at his collar.  
“We aren’t… _Dating._ ” He hissed out.  
“They won’t believe you.” Collin sighed, plopping down in the seat next to Max.  
“Nope!” Suzy giggled. “So. Hey there, Max--”  
“No.”  
“--How’ve you been? Have you missed me? Wanna try Journalism yet--?”  
“Decent, definitely not, and a double scoop of ‘No’ with an unhealthy serving of ‘Never’ sprinkles on top.” Max replied, pursing his lips.  
“You won’t join my club because you’re attached to your _Irish Boyf_ aren’t you?”  
“Did we forget that we’re all twelve? And that dating shouldn’t be our main priority? And that I’d never join your club ever because you’re _creepy?_ ”  
“ _Thank you_.” Collin hissed out next to him, resting his chin on the palm of his hand with a grimace.  
Max took this chance to check out the window again, seeing Isaac staring thoughtfully at his shoes. The brunet’s eyebrows creased together and he knocked on the window once more. When the ginger looked up, Max nonverbally asked what was wrong. Isaac stared at him for a second, as if deciding something, before shrugging and shaking his head in somewhat defeat.  
Max hummed thoughtfully as a panicked look crossed Isaac’s face for a second as the last bell rang. He jumped as a boy started panicking and flailing when his friends started to cheer and take their shirts off. The boy snorted before getting up and gathering his stuff like a sensible person.  
“Heyo, Maxitron, you wanna hang out with us for a bit?” Suzy asked. Isabel slung her bag over her shoulder and followed after Collin, who was talking animatedly with Ed about something.  
Wait. Why was Ed _pink?_  
“Uhhm.” Max snapped his gaze from Ed and back to Suzy, who was also very pink. “No. My agenda is fizzin’ with important bizzin’ that I need to do before I go to the hizzin’.” He replied slowly, making Suzy turn and roll her eyes.  
“You could’ve said you were busy. Wait up, you three!” She jogged out the door, saying something to Isabel that made her laugh before the four departed. Max left the classroom before Spender asked if something was wrong, frowning deeply. He pulled the note from his pocket.  
“Okay.” He told himself. “This confrontation all rides on if Isaac is at my locker or not.”  
He wasn’t, and Max knew he wouldn’t be. Max inwardly groaned. This was where the two usually met up after school. The world was either against him or-- _No._  
Max stiffened momentarily before forcing himself to relax and continue the thought he had cut off.  
 _Or he’s the one who sent the note._  
Adrenaline burst through his veins, and curiosity suddenly got the better of him as he found himself sprinting toward the exit. Realizing he was on the second floor, Max spat insults to whatever God had the misfortune of watching him before he whipped out his scooter and threw the door open. He jumped, slipping the bottom of the scooter’s deck onto the railing of the stairs and sliding down. Max landed with a roll, folding up his scooter at the same time as he shot to his feet.  
Needless to say, he got to the baseball field in record time.  
Where he stood, breathing heavily, in front of a thoroughly startled medium boy.  
“You…” Max huffed out, pointing at Isaac.  
“Uhm.” Isaac almost immediately blushed red to his hairline “You…?”  
“Sent it!” The brunet managed, and he really thought that his heartbeat should have slowed down by now.  
“ _You_ sent it?!”  
“I knew you had a crush on me.”  
“Why the baseball field?”  
“I was going to ask the same thing-- _Wait_.” Max narrowed his eyes, straightening. He held up the pink note. “Did you…?”  
Isaac’s eyes widened, and he held up a pink note. They stared for a while before--  
“ _Isabel_.”  
Max sighed as Isaac flared up, blue energy flying angrily around him.  
“I can’t believe her!” Isaac yelled, launching into a full force rant. Max watched his angry expressions, and didn’t even try to block out the momentary disappointment, even though he was pretty sure he shouldn’t feel remorse at the situation at hand. A normal preteen would feel relieved and angry for a girl setting them up, but Max pretty much felt the opposite.  
Well, he was pretty irritated, now that he thought about it.  
"Why is everyone here a _lunatic?_ " Isaac threw his hands into the air.  
Max had to agree. Mayview _was_ full of lunatics.  
Lunatics.  
His dad.  
"Oh, _shoot!_ " Max smacked his forehead in realization.  
"her _face_ is _ugly_ \-- What's wrong?" Isaac's anger diminished to concern in a flash, and Max couldn't help a laugh.  
"I have to... Go." He turned and pointed toward the street. "I have to watch the store... Uhm."  
Isaac smiled. "Okay. Hurry up, then. I'll drop by later, if that's cool."  
"Huh? Oh! Yeah. Yeah that's cool." Max clicked open his scooter. "Do that." He coughed awkwardly, kicking off and shooting down the sidewalk.  
He looked over once his scooter hit the road, catching sight of Isaac. Max's legs apparently had a mind of themselves and stopped the scooter, and he groaned at himself when Isaac looked over.  
There was a pause as Max inwardly cursed himself for being weird, but his thoughts skidded to a halt when Isaacs hesitantly waved. Max shifted, waving back with the same hesitancy.  
The brunet kicked off again, actually slapping himself when he was out of sight.  
Yeah, okay. So he _may_ like Isaac more than usual. What's the worst that could happen?  
"Oh, boy." Max stopped and sat down on the sidewalk. "I just jinxed myself, didn't I?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Valentines chapter!! This iSN'T A SIDE CHAPTER IT'S ACTUALLY RELEVANT TO A CERTAIN DEGREE  
> Kthnx hhehe


	9. Chapter Nine: The Activity Club and Spectral Tag [Pt 1]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hurry up and get out.”  
> “Shut up, Max. You’re just waiting for us to get out so you can tell _Isaac_ to come over, aren’t you? Got a little crush on him, do yah?”  
>  “Yes.”  
> “ _What_. Wait! Which question were you answering?”  
>  “Use your imagination, for once.”

“Hurry up and get out.”  
“Shut up, Max. You’re just waiting for us to get out so you can tell _Isaac_ to come over, aren’t you? Got a little crush on him, do yah?”  
“Yes.”  
“ _What_. Wait! Which question were you answering?”  
“Use your imagination, for once.”  
“Zoes!” Dad Puckett wriggled his way down the stairs, disposing a light jacket onto Zoey’s head. “We must be off, my sweet!”  
“Dad! Max and Isaac are a thing!” Zoey pointed at her older brother, who in turn glared at the ceiling.  
“Max.” Max frowned as Dad Puckett almost immediately responded. The boy flinched as his dad swiped off his cap and ruffled his short hair. “Be yourself! I’m proud of you!”  
There was a moment of shocked silence as Max and Zoey stared at their father.  
“You, too, Zoey!” Dad Puckett laughed as Max tinged pink and turned around.  
“What?! Why did you suddenly turn this to me?!”  
“Let’s go!”  
“Dad!”  
Max stared murderously at the wall, hearing the automatic doors slide closed. He wasn’t exactly sure how long he was staring at the wall, and he wasn’t sure what he was thinking about for the majority of that time. He felt strangely at ease, despite the burning irritation at his sister.  
And while he was on the subject of irritation, that crack in the wall was starting to annoy him. Dad should plaster that. And, Max looked up, that one light would occasionally flicker, so it should be replaced too.  
What was he even thinking about, anymore?  
Something about Isaac…?  
Wait, _what?_  
“Mr Max!” PJ’s insistent voice knocked him from his trance. He narrowed his eyes, looking around. Something wasn’t quite right here.  
“Uhm, yeah. What’s up, Peej?” It was a nickname that Isaac called PJ every once and awhile, and it stuck.  
“Your cellular device did a thing!” PJ pointed at Max’s phone on the counter. Max grinned and leaned next to it.  
“It’s from Mr Isaac.” PJ informed him, staring down at the caller ID.  
“I’ll answer it…” Max grinned over at PJ before yawning, and PJ whispered a quick _Oh no_. “As soon as you move it.”  
“Mr Max…!” PJ whined.  
“C’mon, man. You’re getting so good at it!” Max encouraged, and PJ’s face brightened.  
“Really? I’m getting better?” His voice was heartbreakingly thrilled, and Max bit the inside of his cheek.  
“Heck yeah, dude!” The brunette smiled softly as PJ began to try prodding at the phone. His eyes sharpened in determination, and Lefty waved a _Go, PJ!_ flag that Max helped the hand make earlier that week. The phone suddenly vibrated again, and PJ shrieked, slapping at it in defense.  
To the trio’s complete shock, it flew across the room and smashed into the automatic doors, which apparently didn’t see it coming.  
“Holy _power_ , PJ!” Max burst into ecstatic laughter, clapping ferociously as he went to pick up his cell phone. PJ stared at his hands with wide eyes before bursting into tears.  
“I did it! I touched it!”  
“You didn’t just touch it! Jeez, you slapped the battery out if it!” Max grinned back at the boy, picking up all the scattered pieces of his phone. He murmured something about replying to Isaac as he reassembled his device.  
Wandering back toward the cash register, he slid onto the counter and waited for his phone to power on. Max grinned as PJ flew in circles around the room with Lefty, babbling excitedly.  
The brunet stared down at his phone as it powered up and loaded his messages, which was now up to five.  
Friday, 5:14 PM: Hey, can I come over now?  
Friday, 5:14 PM: Maaaaaaax  
Friday, 5:14 PM: Maaaaaaaaaaaax  
Friday, 5:14 PM: Listen, dorkatron. I’m coming over now.  
Friday, 5:14 PM: The spirits at my house are being ridiculously overbearing. I hope your doors are open, otherwise I’m crashing through those suckers.  
Max took a moment to smirk at how childish Isaac sounded through text, before realizing what he just read.  
“Oh, _rollerskate_.” Max shoved his phone in his pocket and ran toward the doors. “Lefty! Code Rollerskate Dork!” He waved at the door sensors and Lefty shot over, clamping down on one door as Max blocked the other. The two braced themselves, an immense blast of wind shot past not a second later. Max had to squint, looking into the store to see Isaac skidding gracefully to a stop and flashing a smug smile.  
“You’re _ridiculous_.” The brunet groaned, letting the automatic doors close once more. Isaac hopped onto the counter and began removing his rollerblades.  
“I like to make a flashy entrance.”  
“Obviously.” Max tugged at the backpack that Isaac was wearing, and the ginger paused from removing his footwear to let Max take his luggage. The brunet dug through his bag for a second before pulling out Isaac’s sneakers and setting them on the counter next to his friend. This had become a routine that neither boy had really bothered to notice.  
“Augh, stop sparkling.” Max waved a hand in front of Isaac’s face, as if swatting away flies.  
“I’m not sparkling.” Isaac pouted. “That’s water droplets. I _do_ take showers, you know.”  
“What.” Max gave him a flat look before staring pointedly at his hair, which was still pointed like nothing had ever touched it.  
“I’m serious!” Isaac ran a hand through his hair before reaching for a shoe. “It’s wet, okay?”  
“No way.” Max reached out and ran his hand through the medium’s hair, eyes widening when he found out that Isaac wasn’t lying. The brunet laughed and stuck both his hands in Isaac’s hair, flattening it before letting it spring back up to it’s original style.  
“Max, oh my god. You’re secretly three years old.”  
“I am a responsible adult.” Max stared Isaac down, his hands still in his friend’s hair, and finding it suddenly excruciatingly hard to look into Isaac’s eyes for longer than three seconds.  
“You have the maturity of a baby hedgehog.”  
“You have the maturity of an angry preteen medium boy who shoots lightning when he’s flustered.” Max grinned as electricity crackled against his hands.  
Isaac sighed heavily, eyebrows creasing.  
“How do I deal with you?”  
“Bluntly.”  
“Why are we friends?”  
“Activity Club outcasts.”  
“Why do I still talk to you?”  
“I’m dashingly attractive.”  
“Oh, yeah.” Isaac rolled his eyes. “I’m _swooning_ , Mr Puckett.” The ginger held the back of his hand against his forehead and fell flat onto the counter.  
“That was the most _sarcastic fall_ I have ever seen.”  
“How can an action be sarcastic?”  
“If Isaac O’Connor makes it sarcastic, it will be sarcastic. The sarcasm was deafening. That fall was so _loudly sarcastic_.”  
Isaac sat up and the two stared at each other before busting into laughter.  
"Hello, Mr Isaac!" PJ shot down from the second floor, and the two high fived as Isaac sat up.  
"Hey, PJ." Isaac smiled. "How've you been?"  
"Fantastic!" The ghost boy threw his hands in the air. "Max watched Frozen with me. I like Disney movies. I want powers like Miss Elsa, you know how superb that would be?"  
"You watched a Princess Movie?" Isaac turned and stared pointedly at Max with an amused smirk. Max returned his gaze without flinching.  
"I cried, like, _thirty-two times_ , Isaac. Disney has ruined me."  
"No, Max. That jacket ruined you." Isaac grinned and pointed at Max's _Insolent Children_ hoodie.  
"Insult the band and I'll insult Wendy Peters."  
"She's a fantastic meteorologist and you _know_ it!"  
"I don't even know how you are aware she even _exists_ , Isaac."  
Isaac muttered something about how she's on Channel 8 News before crossing his arms and pouting. Max snorted and slung an arm around his sulking friend, leaning heavily on the Medium.  
"Is someone grumpy?"  
"Yes, because his best friend weighs as much as an adolescent beluga whale."  
"I hate to be repetitive but-- Golden Rule, Isaac. The rule that nobody ever follows consciously, or subconsciously, really. The rule that nobody ever stops and thinks about. 'Hm. How will I apply the Golden Rule today? I think I'll be suspiciously nice to that one guy I punched yesterday!' D'yah like my Johnny impression?"  
Isaac snorted and rolled his eyes.  
"Suave."  
"I prefer _cynical_ , but suave works too." Max said, hopping up onto the counter. He left his arm slung around Isaac for the soul purpose of seeing if it made the ginger uncomfortable. At least, that what Max was telling himself.  
However, to Max's complete, but guiltily pleased, discomfort, Isaac didn't seem to have any problem with it. He didn't even bother to acknowledge the contact at all.  
"Do you normally have this many spirits in your house?" Isaac asked, eyebrows suddenly creasing. He waved vaguely in the air, generalizing the whole room.  
"Uhm." Max stared at the store before him, watching all the spirits lazily go about their business. "No. They all suddenly showed up one week, I guess. It was after we took care of that toilet water spirit."  
"Maaax. How many times do I have to repeat myself." Isaac groaned, knocking his head into Max's roughly. "It wasn't _just_ toilet water. It could control water in general it just--"  
Max jumped as Isaac broke into a laughing fit and dropped his forehead onto Max's shoulder.  
" _Toilet Water Spirit_." Isaac gasped out.  
"I'm just saying." Max coughed. He could _feel_ his face turning pink. "That disgusting rat was one with the plumbing. Which is ironic, because it looked like a rat, didn't it? Maybe it was a _sewer_ water spirit." The brunet offered, poking Isaac. The medium swatted his finger away, shifting his head and grinning up at Max.  
"You're in a dysfunctional relationship with sanity."  
"I pride myself in such." Max took off his hat and forcibly stuck it on Isaac's face, grinning when the other boy jerked away from Max and grabbed at the hat. The brunet laughed as Isaac verbally assaulted him while beating him with his own cap.  
"Beg for mercy, you fiendish scarab!"  
"Why a scarab?" Max laughed, shielding his head with his arms.  
"And here we have the lovebirds in their natural habitat!" Max and Isaac froze, looking up at the door blankly. Isabel giggled and waved daintily, Ed messing with the automatic doors behind her. "Hey, you two."  
"A wild LOSER appears." Isaac sighed, plopping Max's hat back on his head.  
"What're you two doing here?" Max asked warily, seeing PJ hide behind Isaac in his peripheral.  
"Oh, y'know. Just thought we'd drop by and shoot the storm." Isabel stuck out her tongue, and Isaac's eyes narrowed.  
"One, I've met more interesting liars in _kindergarden_. Two, the phrase is 'Shoot the breeze'."  
"I know what I said."  
"Taffy spirits!" Ed cackled, stumbling from an aisle wrapped up in several long, pink spirits. "Yes! I am Taffy Man!" He rubbed his hands together like an villain. "Izzy. We must conquer the world. One corner shop at a time."  
"Try to take ours and my dad will meet you in combat with a roll of paper towels."  
"He sounds like a formidable man! Does he take apprentices?"  
"No?" Max stared at Ed in confusion and disbelief. Next to him, Isaac sighed heavily and shook his head. He looked up at Isabel with the expression of a boy who didn't want to deal with this.  
"Why are you _really_ here?"  
"We got bored." Isabel shrugged. "I figured you two were cooped up at Max's house so I packed up Ed and left."  
"And by _We got bored_ , she meant _The Old Man is making us train and it's a Friday so we don't wanna deal with that_."  
"Fair enough. I guess." Max frowned, bringing his foot up onto the counter and resting his chin on his knee.  
"He's really angry at you for relying on your tool so much." Isabel stated, moving toward the stairs.  
"I think we've established I really don't care what he thinks. Where you goin'?" Max asked.  
"Upstairs. We're going to borrow your television. Mythbusters is coming on soon." Isabel flashed a disturbing grin over her shoulder before the two disappeared upstairs.  
"Don't let her fool you." Isaac grimaced. "She only watches that show to see the explosions."  
"So does Zoey." The brunet stared at the automatic doors in exasperation. "And she cranks the volume. I actually have to _sleep_ , believe it or not. She makes it painfully hard to do so. I want to beat her stupid TV with my bat." Max sighed, laying back on the counter, legs dangling off the edge.  
Silence fell, and Max suddenly felt a wave of relaxation hit him. His vision sharpened, and he could now pinpoint every flaw in the ceiling. Irritation flared up, red and burning. Why was the ceiling so flawed? It was probably caused by all the sudden poltergeists that just _randomly_ decided to _show up_ in his house. There were a couple places with white paint that wasn't evenly distributed, and it was making Max angry. In one corner the paint was flaking and the ceiling looked wet, and it was making Max angry. The ceiling was making Max _extremely_ agitated. If only he had his bat, he could smash that ceiling to bits--  
"Hey, Max." He was snapped from his trance by Isaac leaning over him and blocking his view from the ceiling. "You listening?"  
Max stared up at a semi-concerned Isaac, eyebrows creasing slowly as he thought. What just happened? As soon as Isaac blocked his vision, the anger had immediately faded. Why was he mad at the ceiling, anyways? He knew about all the imperfections. He saw them everyday. Why was it making him so irritated all of a sudden? Something wasn't right here.  
Max was struck with déjà vu. This had happened earlier!  
He sat up suddenly, purposefully knocking foreheads with Isaac. Luckily for him, Isaac understood his nonverbal and didn't back off.  
"What's up?" He asked quietly.  
"Something isn't right." Max hissed, glancing around the store before meeting eyes with Isaac again.  
"What do you mean?" Isaac's eyebrows furrowed and he searched his companion's eyes questioningly.  
"It's hard to explain. I went into a trance, I guess. It was relaxing at first but--" Max's mouth spread into a fine line and he looked down as his hands. "--then everything began to irritate me. It seemed like I was in control of my own thoughts, but I wasn't. You dig?"  
Isaac stared at him blankly, pulling back and rubbing his forehead.  
"Uhhm..." And Max sighed, lolling his head back.  
"Of _course_ you don't believe me."  
"No, no!" Isaac blurted quickly. "I have one hundred percent trust in you! I know you aren't lying!"  
Max's head snapped up and he gave Isaac a playful smirk. "One hundred?"  
Isaac turned an embarrassed pink and he huffed, snagging Max's hand. The brunet felt a stinging shock trail up his arm and he yelped, snatching back his hand and shaking his arm as if to shake the pain off.  
"Okay, okay! Jeez, uh, sorry! What happened to the _no violence_ thing, Captain Pacifist?"  
"That's not _violence_ , it's _discipline_." Isaac stuck out his tongue, making Max chuckle. "And what I was _going_ to say before you _taunted_ me was that it could be a _hostile spirit_."  
"Why is it only effecting me?"  
"Er." Isaac scratched the back of his head. "I don't really get _controlled_ by other spirits very often. So if what was targeting you was also targeting me, I'd not have felt it."  
"Why?" Max gave him a blank look.  
"Because my spirit is a stubborn son-of-a-gun and doesn't want to be controlled." Isaac rolled his eyes. "So he tends to exert extra energy when he feels something trying to take control of me."  
"To assure you won't get... Possessed?" Max wasn't sure if that was the appropriate word to use, but Isaac got the picture.  
"Basically. It's mainly for his own sake, though. He could care less what happens to _me_."  
"Harsh." Max pulled a face.  
"Pretty much." Isaac shrugged, playing with Max's shoe.  
"What about Ed and Isabel?" Max asked, watching Isaac's hands fiddle with his laces.  
"What about 'em?"  
"What if they were targeted too?"  
Isaac hummed blandly, not seeming to care. He deftly tied up Max's shoe before looking up.  
"I s'ppose we could go check on them. If they were, then we know we're in danger."  
"What if they weren't...?" Max asked warily, and Isaac flashed him a reassuring smile.  
"I'll still believe it's a spirit, but I'll probably think it's just a trickster. I believe you."  
Max was grateful for that, and his pride got in the way of his morals, which were currently telling him to tell Isaac that he appreciates that. Morals thought it won, but it didn't, to pride's smug glee.  
"Save the sap for the trees." Max flicked Isaac's forehead, grinning cheekily. Isaac glared at him dangerously before Max slid off the counter, heading upstairs. He could hear Isaac stomping after him grumpily.  
Reaching the top of the stairs, Max stopped short, eyes widening. Isaac had barely made it up the stairs before Max had snagged his bat from the floor next to his bag and dived in front of the television with his bat held up defensively, effectively blocking a pair of paper and ink-made scythes from ripping into the device.  
"Max!" Isaac's voice squeaked in horror, and Max managed to give him a _Hurry Up And Help, Lightning Boy_ look before Isabel lifted her scythe and swung it down violently. The impact made Max grunt, and he slid back a tad, back pressing against the smooth television screen.  
The brunet relaxed his stance a tad as the smell of ozone flooded the room. Sparks bounced across the floor and crackled at Isabel and Ed, snapping them from their rage-induced trance.  
It took about a millisecond for Isabel to get fired up again.  
"Okay! What _was_ that, and do I have permission to _brutally end it?_ " She stomped her foot against the carpet, whipping her head around and eyeing passing spirits accusingly.  
"Okay, Stormageddon. Was that enough proof for you?" Max stood up and stretched his legs, wincing. Isaac walked over to his side habitually, focusing his attention on the brunet.  
"Alright, so we are _most likely_ in danger."  
"Hostile Spirit Time." Max smiled over at the ginger.  
"Good." Isaac raised his hands in the air and stretched. "Team LightningRod was beginning to loose it's luster."  
"Nonsense. We're too good looking for that."  
"Oh, _we_ are? Not just _you?_ " Isaac gave him an amused grin.  
"'Ey, loverboys." Isabel rolled her eyes. "We've established that a spirit is after us. So what? It won't confront us until it thinks our guard is down." The girl smiled and pounded her fists together, and Isaac groaned. Max looked at Ed, eyes narrowed.  
"What is she alluding to?"  
"You _don't_ want to know." Isaac hung his head and made a disgruntled noise.  
"Yes, he does." Isabel sauntered forward and stopped half a foot from the other Team. "Don't you, Max? You want to get rid of the Spirit, right?"  
"Can't we just go look for it?"  
"No. It's most likely somewhere farther off, y'know? Attacking from a distance. It hopes we'll take each other out so it doesn't have to."  
"Exactly. Let's go look for it."  
"You can't find a Spirit that doesn't want to be found." Ed cooed. "It needs to come to _you_."  
"Which is why we have to act like we don't think anything is wrong and _'Let Our Guard Down.'_ " Isabel exaggerated the last four words with hand quotes. Isaac sighed loudly and crossed his arms, leaning heavily against Max's side and glaring at Isabel.  
"Fine, if we have to. I'm teamed with Max, then." He stated, leaving no room for argument. Isabel giggled, eyes glinting strangely.  
"I wouldn't have it any other way."  
"That means I gots the Izzy!"  
"Holla!"  
"Wait, wait, wait." Max held up his hands, making sure not too move too much as to make Isaac shift away. "What are you three _talking_ about?"  
Three pairs of eyes locked onto his face, and even Isaac grinned as the three responded simultaneously.  
" _Spectral Tag!_ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooooo SPECTRAL TAG talk about yeahuh  
> Let me tell you about my terrible Spectral Energy theories  
> Because this is one of them


	10. Chapter Ten: The Activity Club and Spectral Tag [Pt 2]

"Hold up." Max raised up his hands, looking over to Isaac with furrowed eyebrows. "Explain that again?"  
"One person on the team is assigned the task of making sure their Spectral Energy is lit. That makes them the Target. Everyone on the team can use their energy to fire at the opponents, but it's usually not the Target, since that person is the one that the other team will be firing at. Hit that person and your team wins." Isaac explained, waving his hands around in the air for exaggeration. Max stared at him for a second before humming in understanding and looking ahead again.  
"Alright. So explain to me why we're going to the _forest_ for this?"  
"Darker, more places to hide behind, best place to lure out a threatening spirit." Isabel wagged a finger in the air, glancing back at the brunet.  
"Wow, this doesn't seem like a thought-out plan."  
"It's not." Ed laughed, sticking his hands behind his head. "But it's the most _fun_."  
"I beg to differ." Max began to trudge, glaring down at the ground as if the concrete had done him a personal wrong. Isaac looked over at him and smiled, amused. The brunet's eyes flicked up to his briefly and he offered a lopsided grin before looking back down at the ground. This time, his was glare not as harsh.  
Isaac looked up toward Isabel and stuck his hands in his jean pockets.  
"I assume since Max's Spectral Energy is black, he's disqualified as the Target, right?"  
"Whoa, whoa!" Max's head shot up and over at Isaac. "You _know_ I _suck_ at shooting."  
"But he's right." Isabel chimed in. "Besides, Isaac is usually always the Target. He's great at dodging and staying hidden."  
"You're gonna have to _protect_ me." Isaac grinned over at Max cheekily. Max huffed and rolled his eyes.  
"Just like the pretty princess you are."  
"I am the most beautiful princess."  
"Oh, yes." Max snorted. "Look at all the boys who are chasing after you--Ah, wait, there are none."  
"There's _you._ " Isaac pointed out blandly, smiling wider when Max spluttered incoherent gibberish. It was dark outside, but Isaac did have to see him in clarity to know he was at least blushing a _little_. The brunet reached up and snagged the bill of his hat, tugging it down a tad and confirming Isaac's suspicions.  
"Whatever, _Your Highness_."  
Isabel groaned loudly and threw her hands in the air before they fell to her sides in a dramatic show of irritation, making everyone look at her. Those two made her unconditionally _frustrated,_ but Ed was most likely the only one who had a faint clue of what she was upset about. Looking over, she grinned a little to see the knowing smile on her friend's face. He knew her so well.  
However--Isabel looked back at Isaac--she'd seen him smile more in the past month than in an entire year where it was just them three in the Activity Club. She couldn't blame them if neither boys wanted to risk the comfortable friendship they had going on... Even if it was so _ridiculously_ comfortable that it made her was to gag. Was comfortable even the right word?  
"Touchy-Feely." Ed muttered over at her. Isabel stared at him blankly for a second before breaking out in rancorous laughter. She stopped and doubled over, feeling tears pricking at her eyes. Ed patted her back, and waved at Isaac and Max behind him casually. The two stared at Isabel in bewilderment, not sure how to react. The girl clutched her stomach and straightened, turning and giggling her way toward the two frightened boys behind her. Max and Isaac stiffened as her hands clutched at their shoulders. She giggled creepily at them before turning and continuing her walk toward the woods.  
Ed glanced back, seeing Isaac and Max glance at each other before beginning to follow once more. His mouth tilted upwards at their horrified confusion.  
He might as well make it worse.  
The blonde boy stopped, making sure Isabel didn't notice, before dropping back and stopping in front of the two other Activity Club members. They stared at him in confusion as he took their hands, but confusion quickly morphed to embarrassment as he put Isaac's hand in Max's and closed their fingers. He gave them pointed looks before letting go and jogging to catch up with Isabel.  
A quick look back a couple minutes later showed neither boy had let go.  
-Oh Look a TimeSkip-  
It was hard to hold up a conversation when he was holding Max's hand, so Isaac was intensely relieved when the four reached the outskirts of the forest. Even more so when Max didn't show any signs of pulling away.  
Isaac felt a little guilty at that.  
"Okay!" Isabel turned, luckily not noticing the two boys holding hands. "Isaac, I hope you remember where the blue team base is?"  
"Huh? Oh! Uh, yeah." Isaac answered quickly, nodding. Max snickered next to him, making Isaac flush an embarrassed pink.  
"Good. When you get there, launch a little bit of energy into the air. When we're both in position we'll be off." Isabel looked at Max. "Ed is the Target."  
"You're a sadist." Max narrowed his eyes.  
"Oh, and another rule. The Target has to stay with you. You can't leave Isaac at the base."  
"Didn't plan on it." Max grouched at her, making Isaac's stomach do a strange flippy thing.  
"Just saying!" Isabel sang, walking toward the forest. "Don't get lost, 'kay? I know Isaac most likely knows the way back if you do, but it's just a precaution."  
"How is telling me _Oh, haha, yeah and by the way don't get lost in a forest you've never been in before!_ a precaution?" Max stared at her, reproached.  
"It just is!" Isabel called, disappearing into the forest with Ed.  
The was a moment of silence as Max grumbled something about needing a map before he looked over at Isaac.  
"Where to, chief?"  
"Oh, this way." Isaac pointed to an angle, the opposite direction from where Isabel and Ed had went, and tugged on Max's hand.  
"Okay, you're leading." The brunet decided, making Isaac laugh.  
And he did, too. With Max pulled along behind him, the two trekked through the woods, occasionally climbing over obstacles. It didn't take long before Isaac had tripped over a root and the pair had tumbled to the ground, laughing as they had a quick wrestling match. Shortly after Max was declared the winner, the pair climbed over a tree trunk, still giggling like toddlers. Isaac's hair was mussed up with leaves and twigs, and Max had dirt smudged all over his face.  
"Okay, okay." Max took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his laughter. "Are we there yet?" He looked over at Isaac, sticking his hands in his pockets. Isaac nodded and pointed ahead. Max turned and stared to where he was pointing, seeing a ladder nailed to the side of a tree. His eyes trailed up the ladder--  
And his jaw dropped.  
" _Treehouse_." Max squeaked out.  
The base was built around at least four trees, and the walls and ceiling were nothing but glass. From the viewpoint of where the two were standing, it looked like there were couches, and a couple of wooden-walled rooms extended from the sides. Support beams were nailed to different trees and extended to the bottom of the base, somehow making it look a lot more stable than a treehouse was supposed to look.  
"That is _not_ a treehouse. That is a literal _house_."  
"It's made for Spectral Tag." Isaac waved for Max to come as he walked toward the treehouse.  
"Okay, it's pretty obvious that the Activity Club is not the only person who plays this." Max accused. Isaac looked back and smiled.  
"Yeah. Old man Guerra's students helped us build it. We play Spectral Tag every once and awhile. The old man doesn't care because he doesn't see a point in going up against all his students just to stop a game." Isaac came to the bottom of the ladder and bent his knees. He jumped and the wind shot him through the hole at the bottom of the base. The ginger turned and gave his friend a cheeky grin. Max stuck out his tongue and Isaac waved, laying down on his stomach and watching Max climb the ladder with the smile still on his face.  
Max reached the top and looked up, unintentionally touching noses with his friend. Both pretended not to notice.  
"You are the most pretentious wannabe I've ever held hands with." Max kept his face emotionless, only to keep himself from turning red. Isaac wasn't so lucky.  
His face morphed from amusement to affront, but quickly snapped to shock at Max's last words. Isaac sat up quickly, pink already dusting his cheeks lightly.  
"Wow. _thanks_." The medium grumped out, standing up as Max crawled into the base, a victorious smile on his lips. Isaac walked over to a small circular cut in the ceiling, raising a finger gun and quickly forming a wreathing mass of bright blue spectral energy. He looked up, eyebrows drawn together in concentration, before firing. The blue ball shot through the hole and hurtled through the air, glimmering brightly above the trees before fading into the air.  
"Now we wait for Isabel's signal." Isaac stated, hand falling to his side.  
"Don't you think you guys went a little overboard?" Max asked, looking around.  
There were couches, fluffy pillows, and several large furry blankets scattered all over the floor. A few lamps were lain around and-- _were those television screens?_  
"I hate to ask the most obvious question, but..." Max looked over at Isaac, who was brushing out his hair over the base's entrance.  
"Let me guess. The television screens?" Isaac's blue eyes glanced up at Max.  
"Uh, yeah." Max coughed, adverting his gaze.  
"Well, like I said, I'm usually the Target." The medium walked over to some shelves and picked up a rag, his hand lit up with blue and the rag began to drip with water. "When there is more than two people on your team, the Target can stay at the Base so long as there is one or two people with him or her. Hold still."  
"Huh--?" Max's clenched his eyes shut as Isaac wiped the cloth across his face, scrubbing the dirt off with the shockingly cold rag.  
"So, because of my little ability to generate electricity, I can power the screens. And light the fireplace."  
"Fireplace? Are you serious?"  
"Yes." Isaac grinned at him before turning and tossing the wet cloth into a bin. "It gets pretty cold during the winter."  
"How long do these games usually last?" Max asked warily, nudging a pillow with the tip of his shoe.  
"The longest it's ever lasted was a week." Isaac grimaced. "We _never_ let Isabel be the red team Target _ever again_."  
"A _week?_ " Max hissed out, staring at Isaac incredulously. "You kept up your Spectral Energy _that long?_ "  
Isaac looked at him in surprise, as if he hadn't expected Max to notice that part.  
"U-Uh... Yeah? I got used to it, really. The first three days were kinda excruciating. But Scabs got me a few energy drinks on the fourth day... And some painkillers..." Isaac shrugged. "So it wasn't that hard."  
"Combining energy drinks and painkillers sounds like a _horrible_ idea." Max deadpanned, crossing his arms. Isaac just laughed and shrugged, walking over to the television screens and taking hold of a metallic rod.  
"Well, I didn't die, and we won. Didn't seem like such a bad idea at the time." Max sighed and rolled his eyes.  
Isaac's hand crackled with electricity, and the screens flicked on. He closed his eyes in concentration, the electricity intensifying.  
"Max, c'mere." Isaac managed. Max raised an eyebrow and crossed over to his friend, looking at the screens. There were three of them, lined in a vertical row against a tree trunk.  
"What screen are Ed and Isabel on?"  
Max paused, evaluating the screens for a second. After a few moments, Isabel and Ed showed up on the middle screen. The two looked to be skipping and jumping across obstacles, laughing. The brunet coughed, answering.  
"Uh, the middle one."  
"Gotcha." Isaac let go of the rod, and the screens clicked to black. Isaac tugged at the sleeve of Max's jacket, leading them to the window. The medium pointed out the window towards a niche in the forest that looked like it was clear of any trees.  
"That's where the Red Base is. Isabel and Ed are..." Isaac moved his finger a little to the left of the clearing. "About at that area. That's where the second camera is at, anyways."  
"Does Red Team have cameras?" Max asked, staring at the clearing. "And what is their Base even _like?_ "  
"Their Base isn't a tree house, obviously. It's built underground." Isaac grinned. "Ours is better."  
"And the camera thing?"  
"Really?" Isaac looked over at him with a cheeky smile. "I'm the only one who can generate electricity. Those losers got it rough in Red Base."  
"Whoa, that's harsh." Max laughed, shaking his head.  
"Nah, I've heard that they actually have a pretty nice base, the others like to raid it a lot." Isaac leaned his shoulder against the windows, staring almost wistfully toward the meadow. Max stared at his friend for a second before looking back at the clearing. There was a moment of comfortable silence as the pair waited for Isabel's signal.  
"Hold up." Isaac looked over at Max quizzically as the brunet pointed at him. "You've _never_ seen their base and you've played this game for... How long?"  
"Couple years." Isaac murmured.  
"You mean to tell me you've _always_ been the Target?"  
"It kinda goes against my _Non-Violence_ policy to be anything _other_ than the Target." Isaac replied, shrugging. "Plus, none of the others kids were confident in my ability. I seemed like a pretty logical choice for a Target."  
Max was quiet for a second, staring at Isaac in bewilderment.  
"My job as the Target stuck, so now it's just a regular thing--"  
"They _doubted_ you?" Max laughed in disbelief, and Isaac's head snapped around to face Max. "Are you _serious?_ "  
"I--Yes?" Isaac stuttered out, shocked.  
"Listen here, bud." Max was back to bland, cynical teenage mode. "We're going to leave this Base, sneak past those losers, raid their Base, and steal all their valuables."  
Isaac nodded slowly, his wide blue eyes locked on Max. The brunet grinned, nudging Isaac playfully. The ginger blinked rapidly before smiling back, shyly.  
"Thanks."  
"Oh, hey." Max pointed out the window as a two balls of red spectral energy hurtled through the air over the clearing.  
"Ah--That's the signal to start." Isaac was bouncing excitedly. Max snorted and slung an arm around Isaac's shoulders.  
"C'mon, dork."  
"Yeah!" Isaac smiled, lessening his hopping and running over to the Base's entrance, dropping down through it with an excited yelp. Max sighed, not wanting to climb down the ladder. He looked around, laughing quietly when he caught sight of a metal floor lamp. The spectral unplugged the lamp (there were _plugs_ in here??) and hoisted it above his head. He tugged his bat from the strap on his back and leapt from the edge of the square cut in the floor, holding the lamp above his head.  
He flinched as the lamp caught violently on the floor of the Base before he dropped. Isaac watched in horror before Max whipped his bat above his head. The humming resonated down his arm, and he shot into the air for a second before falling back down, hitting the forest floor softly.  
"Max!" Isaac griped. "What if that lamp wasn't magnetic?"  
"Relax, playa." The brunet strode over to Isaac and ruffled his hair, grinning. "You would've caught me."  
"I'm not _always_ there to catch you..." Isaac replied quietly, pouting up at the other boy.  
"And when you're not, I'm more careful. So c'mon, Stormy! We have a Base to raid and things to steal!"  
"Stormy is a girls name, Max."  
"I'm aware."  
-Oh Look a TimeSkip-  
The pair had went right, planning on dodging around Isabel and Ed before going around to their Base. Isaac had lit his Spectral energy, and was currently glowing a faint blue in the shade of the trees.  
"What if we run into them?"  
"We run as fast as humanly possible."  
"They'll know something's up."  
"Huh." Max hummed, eyebrows furrowing. "Okay, then. You dodge behind something and I'll cover you."  
"The likelihood of both Ed and Isabel firing at us will be pretty high."  
"If _you_ want to fire at them, be my guest."  
Silence fell again. The only indicator of the two were the cracking of twigs and crunching of brown, fallen leaves against the damp soil of the forest. The path they were walking on was clear of bush and bramble, making it obvious that this was a commonly used path. For hiking of Spectral Tag? No clue. Max was just hoping that the trees and bushes around them were enough to shield them a _little_.  
"Pop question." The brunet looked over at Isaac, who met his gaze.  
"'Sup?"  
"What happens if I get hit?"  
"Oh, I didn't explain that? You're down for the count for about five seconds." Isaac held up five fingers. "Because that's how long it takes for the opposing Spectral energy to fade. You know you're out when... Here. I'll show you."  
Isaac and Max stopped, and Isaac took his hand. His energy flared up and surrounded Max's arm up to his elbow before Isaac pulled back. The spectral stared in surprised awe as Isaac's blue spectral energy steamed from his arm for a few seconds before fading completely.  
"Whoa." Max whistled, wriggling his fingers. He grinned as remnants of blue flew from his hands, and he fired up his black energy, watching the two intermingle. Isaac laughed, holding up his hand and swirling his pointer finger in a circle, letting off a circular pulse of blue. Max's energy engulfed the ring, and the two swirled for a second, making a blue and black circle before the two energies dispersed.  
"Look at us. We're bein' all _artsy_ and stuff." Max grinned despite the flat tone in his voice.  
"Yes, well. We should probably do the artsy stuff later." Isaac side stepped, pressing his back against a tree. He snagged Max's sleeve and pulled him behind the tree next to him.  
"What's up?" Max asked, watching as Isaac peeked around the tree. The sounds of laughing were slowly beginning to reach their ears, and the brunet grabbed Isaac and tugged him back. The pair couched behind a large bush, lowering their heads and straining to see through the thick leaves. Max glanced over at Isaac, frowning at his bright shirt and hair. Realizing that this was probably _not_ something _normal_ friends would do, he unzipped his jacket.  
"Isaac." He hissed. The medium turned his head and glared, as if saying _Shut up, Max! Do you want to get caught?_. Max snorted at his glare and slung his jacket around Isaac's shoulders. The boy's eyes widened in confusion, but he put his arms through the sleeves anyways, staring questioningly at his friend as Max zipped the jacket and put up the hood.  
The brunet glanced at Isaac, instantly stiffening at the look he was getting. Max blushed furiously, fingers still snagged on the edges of the hood, making Isaac tense up and copy his blush. The two stared at each other, not exactly sure how to fix this situation.  
"You look like a deer caught in the headlights of a steamroller." Max blurted, immediately feeling stupid. Isaac's eyes widened a little more, shoulders falling. There was a moment of heavy silence before Isaac bit his bottom lip, tips of his mouth curling upwards.  
"... A steamroller...?" Isaac's voice was quivering. Max's shoulders hunched around his ears, and his hands slipped to the hood's strings. The medium looked down, eyes widening in realization as Max tugged swiftly. The hood collapsed in, covering Isaac's face.  
"Shhhut up." Max grumbled. "Your hair is too loud."  
Isaac reached up, pulling at the edges of the hood. The strings retracted as the hood went back to normal.  
"Do you _wash_ this?" Isaac asked accusingly. Max stiffened, and Isaac found a hand clamped over his mouth. The brunet wrapped his other arm around Isaac's shoulders and bent down. The pair couched uncomfortably as footsteps crunched past.  
"I thought I heard something." Ed's voice conveyed the frown that was most likely on his face.  
"It coulda been another squirrel."  
"Sounded like Isaac when he's using his 'Accusing Mother Voice'."  
Max grinned down at Isaac as he felt a sneer press against his hand.  
"In _that_ case," Isabel groaned. "Let's hope with all our might that you heard a squirrel, or a dinosaur, but a Motherly Isaac is not the Isaac that I want to find right now. He'll lecture me on how I haven't changed my clothes in three days."  
Max had to bite his lip to hold back giggling when agitated electricity bounced across his arms.  
"Let's move on. They're prolly at the Blue Base."  
The sound of crackling footsteps fading into the distance made Max loosen his hold and peek out from around the bush, just in time to see Isabel and Ed slide down a small landslide and disappear. The brunet sighed and stood up, brushing off his legs and knees. He offered a hand to Isaac, who took it and allowed himself to be hauled up. The medium bent down, dusting himself off.  
"You never answered my question."  
"What question?" Max asked, sticking his hands in his pockets as Isaac straightened.  
"Do you..." He raised his arms above his head and made a cute squeaking noise as he stretched. "Wash this jacket?"  
"Yes, mother." Max rolled his eyes, but then grinned. "I also sleep in it."  
Max couldn't describe the extremely smug satisfaction he got out of watching Isaac turn red. He grinned cheekily as the medium babbled out incoherent words.  
"What's that?" Max crooned. Isaac stamped his foot and glared, pouting angrily.  
"Y-You do _not!_ "  
"How do _you_ know?"  
"B-Because--" Isaac covered his face with his hands. "I'm _always_ at your house!"  
The brunet laughed and slid and arm around his friend's shoulder.  
"Alright, alright. Calm down, Princess. I'll stop messing with you, now."  
Isaac hunched his shoulders and stuck his hands in the hoodie's pockets.  
"This jacket is too big. You're fat."  
"Whoa, hey. I take offense to that."  
"On the up side." Isaac pulled his left hand from his pocket, bringing the sleeve to his nose. "You smell nice."  
"What." Max's tone went flat, and Isaac laughed, rolling his eyes.  
"Like lavender and... Is that orange?"  
" _That_ would be my body wash."  
"You have _orange scented_ body wash?" Isaac laughed. "How _cute_."  
"Whoa, slow your roll, playa." Max pulled back from Isaac, frowning at him. "I don't get to _pick_ my stuff. Toothpaste and things are chosen by the female representative of the house. She hasn't gotten me Fairy Berry Strawberry yet, so I haven't complained."  
"Uh-huh." Isaac crossed his arms, still grinning.  
"Look!" Max pointed ahead, effectively diverting the conversation. Isaac followed his motion, going stiff to see the clearing up ahead. The brunet looked over at him, elation turning to concern.  
"You good?"  
"Honestly," Isaac twiddled his fingers. "I sort of can't believe that you actually took me to the enemy base."  
"Hold your horses, buckaroo. We aren't there yet." Max flicked the bill of his hat and hopped over a log. Isaac crawled over it, much less gracefully. The pair tentatively took a few steps into the clearing, glancing around suspiciously.  
"So," Max whispered, relaxing a little. "Any idea where the entrance is?"  
"Max." Isaac hissed, looking over at him. "This is the first time I've stepped foot in this area. Your guess is as good as mine."  
"Okay." Max's mouth spread into fine line. "Well. D'yah think it could be that giant obvious red door stickin' outta the ground in the middle of that circle of bright red flowers?"  
Isaac and Max stared.  
"Are they _idiots?_ " Isaac shrieked, his hands flying out and motioning angrily toward the entrance. "Or is this a trap?"  
"Let's try it!" Max strode arrogantly toward the door, hearing Isaac sigh loudly behind him. The brunet grabbed the handle and flung open the door. Isaac stood behind Max for a second. The two waited for a second.  
"I'm guessing that since a bloodied mace didn't fly out and slice your head off, we're safe?" Isaac drawled cynically.  
"Righty-o! Let's go!"  
"If you rhymed on purpose, I'm going to kill you."  
-Oh Look a POV Change-  
"So they _did_ come to our base." Isabel hummed, pleased. "You have great intuition."  
"I kinda considered that since Isaac's never left the Blue base during a game, that Max would've taken him to the other base." Ed shrugged.  
"Well, he did." The girl planted a hand on the tree trunk the two were hiding behind and leapt over it. Ed followed, falling face-first on the ground before leaping up like nothing had happened.  
The Red team rolled across the meadow, occasionally ramming into each other and busting into giggles before going back into Mission Mode. They ducked behind a bush, watching the Blue team bound through the doorframe and down the stairs.  
Isabel and Ed crawled up to the door and peeked around the edge, seeing Isaac and Max get to the bottom of the stairs and turn the corner. Red team grinned at each other, scrambling to their feet and quickly but quietly descending down the stairs.  
The base was musky and smelt heavily of earth. The structure was made of a mixture of wood, metal, paper, and ink. Red team wasn't too terribly creative, nor did they care about how livable their base was, so they only had a few rooms with a couple of spirit lanterns in each one to keep them bright. One for the Target, one for relaxing and eating, one for mission planning, and the last was for storage.  
Storage for what? Rewards, of course. Whichever team won at the end of Spectral Tag usually got a piece of furniture of something of value from the other team. Technically, a raid could be initiated to steal back loot that was won, but it always seemed too risky.  
Low and behold, Max had decided to break in and steal stuff without the knowledge of all that. He was either a natural born criminal, or he (subconsciously or not) wanted to make Isaac happy.  
Isabel sniggered. She had a seeking suspicion which one was correct.  
The brunet and the blond snuck a look around the corner, and Isabel had to bite her lip when she saw Isaac in Max's hoodie. That was just _too precious_.  
"How are they _not dating_?" Ed whispered, throwing his hands in the air.  
"Not a clue in my mind. Maybe it's too soon?"  
"It's been like, a month."  
"Exactactically." Isabel grinned. "Give 'em about three to four more months."  
"I'll give them 'till high school." Ed mused. "And then, even during high school, they'll be fumbling blushing messes. And throughout high school they'll never tell each other. Then one of them will die in a mission gone bad, and the other will regret that they never told the other, and fall into despair. And the one that lives will never love again."  
Isabel pulled Ed back from the corner and stared at him.  
"... That's brutal."  
"Tragic."  
"If that _ever_ happens, I'm going to legit sob my eyes out."  
"What are the chances that it'll ever happen? I'm just a crazy boy with a harsh imagination."  
"True that." Isabel shrugged. "Back to the current mission. We got two dorks to flush out."  
-Oh Look Another POV Change-  
"Oh, _sweet_." Isaac clasped his hands together, grinning like a madman.  
"There is _no way_ we're taking all of this. They have like, ten couches." Max shimmied between a couch and the metal wall, looking around the room full of treasure.  
"Yeah." Isaac's grin fell to a frown. "I personally don't care to take the couches back."  
"Those were _yours?_ "  
"Uh, yeah." Isaac answered, sliding over a couch and landing next to Max. "We had an armada of couches. Then Isabel's team kept winning."  
"Sounds terrible."  
"Not really--Ah! My necklace!" Isaac swooped down and snatched up a silver chain with a grey cloud charm strung on it. A blue metallic swirl was branded in the middle of the small charm. "Man, I missed this thing."  
"You need help?" The tip of Max's mouth twitched up to see Isaac struggling with the small clasp.  
"Please." The ginger laughed breathily, smiling embarrassedly. Max took the necklace and walked around Isaac, slipping the necklace around his neck and clicking the clasp and ring together. Isaac carefully tugged the chain down and ran the charm in between his pointer finger and thumb.  
"Thanks."  
"No problemo." Max watched as Isaac tugged his collar away from his neck and dropped the necklace under his shirt. "Let's keep scouting for goods."  
"Yeah!" Isaac smiled, looking back at his friend. "I remember that there was a sapphire ring we had to give up one time!"  
"No _way_."  
"Way."  
The clapping of feet against metal made both boys jump and look up in panic. Isabel and Ed stood at the entrance, grinning in a way that could only be described as evil.  
"Hey, there, little thieves." Isabel cooed.  
"Hey, there, little police force." Max snarked. The opposing girl raised up a finger pistol, red energy swirling around her finger. She aimed at Isaac, and before he knew what was happening, he was being crushed in a hug and rolled across the floor behind a couch. Isaac clung to Max's grey 'NO' shirt, eyes wide and confused.  
"N-Nice reflexesh." He slurred out, huffing when he heard Max chuckle.  
"Nice English." Max replied, peeking around the edge of the couch and aiming a finger pistol, firing. An obscene cuss from Isabel made Isaac's eyes widen.  
That was _not_ a word that was taught in school.  
"Upupup." Max hissed, and Isaac was pulled to his feet. The pair sprinted madly towards the door. Isaac gasped as Ed ran next to Isabel and aimed at the medium.  
" _Max!_ " Isaac stiffened as he screamed the name from impulse. He bit his bottom lip and locked up further when Ed fired.  
Everything went in slow motion for a second. Isaac's vision was suddenly but slowly blocked out by Max jumping in front of him, the ball of energy smacking right into his chest. Max let out a frustratedly pained grunt and clenched his fists, and time quickened again.  
The brunet snarled up at Ed and Isabel, raising his foot and kicking the couch in front of him and Isaac. To the other three's shock and horror, the couch shot across the room and slammed into Isabel and Ed. The two skidded backwards and were pinned effectively to the wall.  
" _No fair!_ " Isabel hissed, trying to push the heavy couch with no avail.  
Meanwhile, Max had snatched Isaac's hand and the two had sprinted down the halls and up the stairs. They kicked the door closed behind them and didn't stop running until they reached the forest. The pair puffed out air, slowing to a jog for a few before slowing down and collapsing onto the soft forest floor.  
They stared at each other for a second before pealing into giggles. Isaac squeezed Max's hand, coving his eyes with the sleeve of Max's jacket.  
"Okay, okay. But you _kicked a couch into them_."  
"They were asking for it."  
"You _kicked a couch_." Isaac exaggerated, dropping his hand and grinning at Max. "And you practically jumped in front of a bullet of _Spectral Energy_ , Max.”  
"Aw, yeah. That hurt. A lot more than expected." Isaac stared at him, nonplussed, as Max rubbed his chest with a concerned look on his face.  
"Usually, people react more to their first time getting hit with a practical _bullet_."  
"Isaac." Max sighed fondly and smiled at his friend. "You've electrocuted me in your sleep so many times it should be criminal. I can handle a little bit of Spectral Energy."  
"How do I hit you with lightning??" Isaac's eyebrows furrowed. "I don't..."  
"Yo, Gingy." Max held up his hand. "You're a cuddler."  
At that, Isaac blushed an embarrassed red.  
"Oh my god. I _am?_ "  
"Yes."  
"And I cuddle _you?_ "  
"I feel a little offended by that."  
"No no! It's just... Oh, geez. Sorry." Isaac ran his hand through his hair.  
"It's fine." Max answered cooly. "I encourage snuggling. It gives me more blackmail rights."  
"Shut up, Max." Isaac rolled his eyes.  
"Honestly, I can't see how you're still awake. Wasn't it past your bedtime five hours ago?"  
"No, Max. It was five in the afternoon five hours ago--Oh. Hardy-har-har."  
"Wait."  
"No, no. I want to hear more of your stinging insults."  
"No, shh!" Max tugged Isaac toward him, bringing a finger to his lips. "Something's not right."  
Isaac was quiet, and he noticed what Max had.  
Everything was silent.  
The forest was dead silent. Not even a leaf made a noise. Nothing made a sound.  
"Oh." Isaac whispered.  
"We should go." Max murmured. The two slowly got to their feet. The silence was heavy, weighing them down and making the pair flinch whenever their feet crunched down on some leaves or a twig.  
Eventually, Isaac sighed in relief when his feet hit the soft grass at the outskirts of the forest.  
"Max, we're okay now--" Isaac froze, the sudden feeling of Max's hand clamped down painfully on his own, shaking like a leaf barely connected to the tree in autumn.  
Isaac whirled around, eyes wide. His other hand flew to Max's cheek, his friend's fearful tears running from his eyes and down his hand.  
"Max? Max!" Isaac's eyes were wide and panicked. "Max! Answer me!"  
"'M sc-scared...!" The brunet bit out, mouth trembling with each sound.  
"It's okay, it's okay." Isaac reached around and pulled Max into a crushing hug. He didn't know what was going on. What had happened? Max seemed perfectly fine a couple minutes ago. Now the cynical preteen was clinging to him and wracking in silent terrified sobs. Isaac rubbed his hand across the back of Max's neck, making quiet shushing sounds. He needed to get Max as far away from this place as possible.  
That was going to be hard.  
Then, something caught his eye.  
"Max? Max, c'mon. We're going to leave, okay?" Isaac reached his hand down and took Max's again, tugging the other boy away from the forest. The brunet made a choking noise in response, allowing himself to be pulled. The ginger took slow steps backwards, his other hand reaching backwards just a tad, keeping his eyes glued to Max.  
The medium had to bite back a grin, feeling cool metal press against his palm. He felt around, his hand wrapping around a handle. Isaac pulled, satisfied when the door clicked and opened smoothly.  
Max looked in the van with confusion before Isaac shoved him in, not caring for grace or tact at the moment. The boy hopped in the car, slamming the door behind him. He felt himself heat up, noticing he was practically _on top_ of Max.  
Isaac crawled over the middle console, more than a little glad that Max was in terrified WahoozieLand at the moment. The medium sat down in the drivers seat, waving his hand over the keyhole and feeling his electricity crackle from his fingertips to the metal. The van made an annoying whining sound before it roared to life, almost angrily.  
The noise seemed to have jarred a certain someone from his terror--that, or his fear got worse--and Isaac found a hand clasped around his upper arm. Fear shot through Isaac like a bullet, and he started to perspire as Max screamed:  
" _DRIVE!_ "  
Isaac's foot stomped sharply on the gas pedal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow look I made Isaac drive a car (I'm so stupid omg //apologizes)


	11. Chapter Eleven: The Activity Club and Magni

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tears sprung up and quickly overflowed, pouring down his face. A few teardrops hit Max's cheek as Isaac quickly and unsteadily unzipped the jacket he was wearing and ripped a sleeve off. Isaac wet the cloth, clumsily and shakily wiping off a stream of blood flowing lazily down his face.  
> "Max, Max, Max. Please be okay. Please, please, please don't..." Isaac made a violent choking noise before a harsh sob ripped from his throat. "Please don't leave me, oh god, _please_."

Isabel knew something was wrong the moment she stepped from the base. It wasn't just the lack of noise. Something was there that made an excited shiver race up her spine.  
"Eddy."  
"Roger." Ed crawled out of the base behind her and nudged the door closed before standing.  
"We have a problem--" The two froze when an earsplitting shriek of car tires scraped across the forest. Isabel and Ed looked at each other in concern.  
"... That's Isaac driving a car again, isn't it?" Ed asked.  
"That's _not_ his usual driving." Isabel's fingers closed into a fist. "He's _never_ driven that recklessly before."  
"I'm surprised he's never got caught."  
"I hope they don't crash."  
There was a pause.  
"I just jinxed it, didn't I?" Isabel groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose.  
"So, did we find the spirit?"  
"No." The girl looked up at the forest, a triangular silhouette facing them. "It found us."  
\----  
Isaac was having a hard time driving sensibly with the constant voice in his head yelling at him to _Protect Max Protect Max Protect Max_. Panic was wreathing around in his stomach, and he clenched his teeth as he mercilessly turned the wheel sharply to the right, barely making the turn. This was stupid, dangerous, and he was going to end up killing both of them, but he needed to get Max _away_ from there.  
Why, though?  
The sudden question made Isaac loosen, and calm down a tad. His eyes became unfocused as he pondered the question.  
 _Why_ did he need to protect Max so badly? There was that word again. Need. Why did he _need_ to do _anything_ for Max? He'd admit that he'd done some stupid things because Max wanted to. The flower crown thing was embarrassing, for one (he wore it to school and _wouldn't take it off_ ). But why only Max?  
"Isaac!"  
The ginger's thoughts were lurched to a rude halt by Max's sudden surprised but panicked voice, and Isaac immediately saw the problem. He stomped on the breaks and turned the wheel, but to no avail. The van shrieked hideously, skidding to the side and smashing through the metal guard rail.  
Max and Isaac screamed and clung to one another for dear life.  
"I'm sorry I'm a cynical asshole!" Max cried out.  
"Don't cuss or I'll stick a bar of soap down your throat before your dad has the chance!" Isaac replied.  
"Shaddap, Justice Boy!" The brunet flipped over Isaac and braced his back against the driver side window, hugging Isaac to his chest. The ginger vaguely felt Max go limp.  
"Ma--?"  
The impact was brutal. The van had it coming, but the tree could've at least offered some tea before it crumpled the van into a scrap heap.  
Isaac's head was ringing. He coughed, blinking rapidly. He was dazed, and everything was hazy and dark. The medium tried moving his fingers, forcing himself to remain calm. He moved his toes, arms, legs, and back. Nothing seemed to be broken, but his head was hurting a little. He reached up, brushing his fingers through his hair. Nothing sticky or wet, he must've not been bleeding.  
Wait. _Wait_.  
"M-Ma--" Isaac went into a coughing fit, doubling over. He gasped for air before plunging back into aggressive coughs. He crawled over to the passengers seat, falling over and rolling onto his back, trying to focus his eyes on the drivers seat.  
"Max?" Isaac asked roughly, clearing his throat. "Max?"  
His vision cleared, and he started forward immediately.  
" _Max!_ " The medium's hands clutched the back of Max's head. "No, no, no, no, _no_."  
Tears sprung up and quickly overflowed, pouring down his face. A few teardrops hit Max's cheek as Isaac quickly and unsteadily unzipped the jacket he was wearing and ripped a sleeve off. Isaac wet the cloth, clumsily and shakily wiping off a stream of blood flowing lazily down his face.  
"Max, Max, Max. Please be okay. Please, please, please don't..." Isaac made a violent choking noise before a harsh sob ripped from his throat. "Please don't leave me, oh god, _please_."  
\----  
" _Get that sucker!_ " Isabel cackled maniacally. She had never felt this _excited_. Whatever this spirit did to her was _amazing_. One second she was gearing up for a fight, the next she was elatedly streaking through the forest with Ed, giggling maniacally.  
She was so happy.  
"Izzykins are you good?"  
"I'm _fantastic!_ " Isabel turned and grinned at her companion. "Whatever this spirit does, it's superb!"  
"We're reaching the road!" Ed pointed after the spirit, who veered out of the forest and onto the lamplit road.  
"That's heading toward the Puckett's!" Isabel cooed gleefully. Ed puffed out a determined whoosh of air as Isabel effortlessly sped up. The blond sprinted to keep up, grinning at her enthusiasm. A happy Isabel was a fun Isabel. A sad Isabel was an Isabel who needed a hug. And Ed wasn't good with hugging.  
The spirit hesitated in front of the Corner Store before shooting in, Isabel and Ed flashing in after.  
" _Come back here--_ Oh, god. Max." Isabel's intense excitement was quickly squashed by shock. Sadness punched her in the gut, and she fell to her knees, staring ahead blankly. Ed was in a disbelieving silence behind her.  
Isaac was slumped on the ground, looking defeated and shaking. Max was held tightly in his arms.  
"Isaac, oh." Isabel fell forward onto her hands and crawled over to him, her eyes prickling unusually. She hesitantly wrapped an arm around him, and he looked up at her. The look on his face made her choke out a disbelieving laugh, tears cascading down her face. "I... I'm so sorr--" Isabel gasped and pulled back, covering her face with her hands. Her shoulders shook, and Ed sat down next to her, wrapping an arm around her and rubbing her back.  
"What are we going to tell his family?" Isaac asked quietly. "I'm going to go to jail for driving a car and killing my friend."  
"No, no, Isaac." Isabel shook her head, wiping her eyes. "You won't go to jail. Spender won't let that happen."  
Isaac was quiet. He bent down and nuzzled his head in the crook of Max's neck, remaining silent.  
He heard Isabel and Ed getting up and going upstairs. He figured he probably looked odd to any random passerby. Isaac's bottom lip quivered, and he smiled cruelly.  
"I-I'm sorry that my last words to you were that I'd shove a bar of soap down your throat." Despite his horrible mood, he laughed a little.  
This close to Max, however, he noticed something he failed to check on before he carried (dragged) his friend's body back to the Corner Store.  
Isaac sat up, eyes wide. He stopped shaking, and he ran his hand across Max's mouth lightly. The motion must have tickled, because the brunet puffed out air and his hand came up, slapping Isaac's hand.  
Isaac's heart sped up, and a giddy smile graced his lips.  
" _I-Isabel! Ed!_ " He yelled. The ginger heard his two friends racing down the stairs.  
"What? Isaac?" Isabel asked, hugging one of the couch cushions.  
"He's just unconscious!" Isaac laughed, surprised at how much relief was lacing his voice.  
"He's alive? He survived your crazy driving?" Isabel breathed, sitting down next to Max. "You... Max... I..."  
She let out a violent shriek, grabbing Max's collar and raising her other hand. Isaac and Ed stared at her in shock as she began slapping him mercilessly.  
Max woke up with a yelp of pain, shooting backwards and rubbing his cheek. He groaned, looking up at Isabel with startled eyes.  
"What was _that_ for--? Ah, my head hurts..."  
"Max...!" Isaac bit back a sob. Max looked up, confused. He saw Isaac's face and his hand fell from his head.  
"Isaac, man, were you _crying?_ Are you OK?"  
Isabel was the first to launch at him, enveloping him in a tight, motherly hug.  
"Maxwell Puckett don't you _ever_ scare us like that again!"  
Max looked scared and startled, but he hesitantly hugged the girl back. Isaac stood and stomped next to him, and Isabel shifted over. Max puffed out a violent burst of air as Isaac sat down heavily on his lap and threw his arms around Max's neck.  
"Dogpile!" Ed yelled, and the three shrieked in amused horror as the blond boy tackled all three of them in a hug.  
"Can someone _please_ tell me what I missed?!" Max yelled, bewildered. His breath caught in his throat when Isaac pressed his face against Max's neck.  
 _No. Bad thoughts. You're twelve, Max._  
"Maybe later." Isabel grinned up at him, teary eyed. "For now, can we sit around and play video games? And just be kids for a little bit?"  
"Yeah, sure." Max loosened up, feeling himself smile down at the violent girl.  
"Hold the kiddy thoughts for a sec, mis amigos. We have a spirit in the corner, you three." Ed told them, sitting up and pointing at the corner. The three looked up and stared where he was pointing.  
Isaac stood up before Isabel, already crackling with electricity.  
The spirit took this opportunity and stepped forward quickly. It raised two thin, inky arms and formed a circle with it's fingers. The circular space glimmered before popping out of it's hands as a smooth piece of glass.  
The spirit itself had a grey, triangular coat on with a hood and triangular buttons. Two black arrows were pointing upwards at the bottom of the black coat. Six small, inky arms were protruding from the sides, and it's head was... Magnifying glass lens?  
"Magnification." Isabel breathed out in understanding.  
"I'll give you five seconds to explain before I _fry_ him." Isaac clenched his hands, blue electricity bouncing across his body.  
"Isaac wait!" Isabel shot up and raised her hands. "Don't you see? He's not an actual threat! All his ability does is Magnify!"  
"He could Magnify our age until we die painfully and slowly." Ed chirped.  
"Oh, well. Yeah." Isabel frowned, not considering that.  
"Uh." Max pointed at the spirit. "Guys. He's."  
"See? He's a threat!"  
"Isaac let me finish!"  
"I need a burger."  
The spirit aimed the glass at Max and the brunet tensed, but he didn't feel anything happen. The glass shattered and the spirit made vague hand motions with his six appendages.  
Max suddenly understood what the spirit had done to him. He'd Magnified Max's _Understanding_.  
"His name is Magni." Max blurted. "All he was trying to do was get our attention."  
The talking ceased, and Max grabbed Isaac's wrist. Sparks flew across his skin, brief and slightly stinging, before Isaac calmed down.  
"How do you know that?" Isabel asked.  
"I-I don't know--Well, yes I do but, I mean... He Magnified my understanding. I can understand him better. It doesn't seem like he can talk."  
Magni shook his head and made more motions. Max pursed his lips and stood up, his eyes glued to the spirit.  
"His home was taken. Wait... No. His friend's and his home was taken. He heard from a Deer lady that we could help. He didn't know how to approach us."  
"He could've done a better job." Isaac grumped. Max lifted his hand and rubbed the back of Isaac's neck. The ginger sighed in resignation and his shoulders slumped. "Okay. So, how do we help?"  
"That's the Isaac I know. Forever the sucker for spirits in need." Isabel cooed, making Isaac shoot her scathing glare.  
Magni and Max stared at each other for a few seconds, Magni making hand motions and Max nodding. Occasionally the brunet would make a face and the spirit would repeat his hand motions until the brunet nodded.  
"So, long story short, it's a sea lion."  
"A sea lion?" Isabel sounded suddenly intrigued.  
"Magni's friends are a colony of little penguins or whatever."  
"What does the sea lion look like?" Isabel grinned like a madman. Madwoman?  
"Er." Max looked back at Magni, who explained mutely. "Pretty big. Like, probably the size of the van that Isaac crashed. It's an ugly plum color and it has... What?"  
Magni waved his hands.  
"Uh. It has red betta fins."  
"Oh, yes!" Isabel fist pumped, giggling like crazy. "I've been _waiting_ for her to rear her ugly head again!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wowwie okay I actually finally posted all the other chapters one AO3  
> Hopefully I keep that up!!  
> This is a short chapter aahh sorry guys. I'm working on Ch 12 as I post this.   
> Yes.  
> I am literally transitioning back and forth as I type this.
> 
> Btw this chapter was stupid and it's totally cheesy ur welcome  
> But I needed it  
> to bring my little Activity Club babs together even further <33


	12. Chapter 12: Cliché Accident and a Whole Lotta Penguins

Max woke up the the uncomfortable feeling of being laid on.  
 _I can't feel my arms..._ He frowned, looking over to see Isabel laying haphazardly across his right arm and hand. Ed was flopped over her, his blonde mop of hair settled on Isaac's side, the said ginger curled up against Max's left. He felt surprisingly at ease, despite never having had this much physical contact with _any_ of his previous friends.  
Isaac muttered something in his sleep, and Max smiled fondly when he heard a couple of complaints come from his mouth about Isabel cheating in Super Smash Bros. The brunet squeaked, an action he'd later deny fervently, as Isaac shifted and somehow hugged Max tighter.  
 _Right. I forgot he was a cuddler._ The awakened Spectral wiggled, attempting to get free, but he gave up almost immediately. With Ed laying across all three of them, Isabel pinning down his right arm, and Isaac strapped to his left side, he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.  
"Hey, Max." Said boy jumped a little at the drowsy voice to his right, and he turned his head a tad, surprised to see a sleepy-looking Isabel smiling at him. "I'm glad you're okay." Her voice was soft and cracking from her recently waking up.  
Max stared at her in shock before smiling back, a lot softer then his usual smirks. He was filled in on what happened, and he felt undeniably bad about having the three of them worry so much.  
"Me too." He replied quietly.  
Not quietly enough, though, because Isaac shifted and made a little squeaking noise as he arched, stretching his back. He blinked, his bright blue eyes glazed over and watery.  
"G'morn..." He slurred, looking down and seeing Ed using his side as a pillow. "Ed'sah heavy sleeper... Won't get up..." Isaac sighed out, rubbing his face against Max's tshirt.  
"Sure he will." Isabel grinned, and the two other boys gave her a wary look. She laughed in return, rolling her eyes.  
"Don't look at me like that. On three, flip him off us and bodyslam _right on_ his--"  
"No!" Ed suddenly shot up, and the other three were sent into pealing laughter.  
"Morning, kiddies!" Max's dad trudged up the stairs with a basket of laundry.  
"Morning." Max's dad gave his son a surprised grin.  
"Whoa, there, Max."  
"What?"  
"A real, genuine 'Morning'? Is the end of the world coming up?"  
Isaac made a little snickering noise, and Max's eyebrow twitched when he realized he was being made fun of.  
"Ah, yeah. You didn't hear? The planet will be suddenly launched off course and into the Sun." Max snarked out, rolling his eyes.  
"So, what're you kids gonna do today?"  
"End world hunger."  
"Defeat everyone!"  
"Save the world from it's perilous fate of becoming a burning mass in the Sun."  
"Get back the penguin's home!" Isaac exclaimed passionately. The other three looked at him, unimpressed, making him curl up in himself visibly. "... What?" He asked, sounding self-conscious.  
"You hopelessly sappy fool." Max deadpanned, shaking his head slowly. Isaac bit his lip, and his fingers brushed against Max's arm for a second. The fleeting touch was enough to get Isaac's point across, however, when tingling pricks of electricity wrapped around his arm and bit harshly.  
"Ow...!" Max growled at him. The Medium childishly stuck out his tongue.  
Dad Puckett laughed, sounding hopelessly carefree as usual.  
"Sounds like a lot of work! You might want to get going if you want to finish all that."  
"What...?" Max, suddenly curious, groped at his pockets for his phone. His dad passed the group of kids on the floor and entered Zoey's room, already jovially laughing about a festival going on later in the day. Max's mouth twitched downwards in irritation, and Isaac rolled his eyes when Max snatched Isaac's phone from the ginger's pocket, instead.  
Max flipped it open.  
Isabel shrieked and scrambled to her feet, Isaac was hauled to Max's bedroom, and Ed just laughed.  
It was 5:32 in the afternoon.  
\--Oh Look a TimeSkip--  
"I _can't_ believe we _overslept!_ " Isabel tugged down one of Max's Insolent Children shirts. The sleeves were mysteriously ripped off, and it looked like it would be too small for him. Ed was wearing a shirt that Isaac left behind at Max's house. 'Juvenile' printed on it in bright red lettering.  
"That wasn't oversleeping," Isaac snorted a little at the shirt Max handed him. "that was _hibernating..._ Really, Max? A stormcloud?"  
"Zoey has a logo designer. She made it for you." Max grinned. Isaac faltered, his fingers hitched on the seam on his current shirt. "Calm down. She just noticed your obsession with the weather lady."  
"Isaac has an obsession with Wendy Peters?"  
"Ed, why do _you_ know who she is?"  
"You never know," Ed shrugged, grinning in a nonchalant way. "She could be my great aunt."  
" _What?_ " Max laughed incredulously, tugging his shirt off fluidly. Isabel grinned and fought the urge to snicker when Isaac suddenly looked uncomfortable. The brunet waved his new shirt in front of him, and it straightened with a muffled crack before he slipped it over his head.  
"So, what _are_ we doing today?" Isaac asked, tugging at the collar of his shirt.  
"Well, we need to find Magni." Isabel blew a raspberry, her eyebrows furrowing. "And we can hopefully get him to lead us to their home. We'll have to have a plan of attack."  
"Hold the phone, battle girl Isabel." Max dug around in his bottom drawer and pulled a pair of dark skinny jeans and a belt, Isabel raised her eyebrows at the clothes. The brunet snorted and shook his head, as if to tell her the jeans weren't for him, before shoving the clothes into Isaac's hands with a muttered "I washed them."  
"What's up?" Isabel asked, her mouth twitching up into an amused smile.  
"Last night you alluded to knowing this spirit we'll be going up against."  
"Alluded?" Isaac asked.  
"Okay, you came right out and said you knew 'her'." Max stuck out his tongue at Isaac, who mimicked the action right back at him. "So what exactly does she _do?_ "  
"Good question." Isabel cooed.  
" _What_." Max and Isaac both deadpanned, and Ed laughed, kicking his legs back and forth on his perch on top of Max's dresser.  
"We don't really _know_ what she does." The blond spectral shrugged in a playful manner. "We jus' know she'sah good fighter."  
"That's unsurprisingly unhelpful." Max snorted, rolling his eyes. Isaac tugged the jeans on and looped he belt around his waist, the belt clinking as he adjusted it.  
"Well then, we have to put a lot more effort into this mission, don't we?" Isaac straightened out his shirt and smiled determinedly.  
"You really _are_ a sucker for spirits in need." Max snorted, and Isaac's blue spectral energy flared up in embarrassment.  
"Shut _uuup_ , Max."  
"Can I jump out your window?" Ed asked, leaping and perching on the windowsill.  
"No!" The other three yelled.  
"Then let's go! Ed's hungry!" Ed whined, falling onto the floor and wriggling toward the door.  
"Why is he talking about himself in third person...?" Isaac asked Max quietly.  
"Why is Isaac asking Max why Ed is talking about Edself in third person when Isaacself should be asking Isabel?"  
"Max, why I am friends with you?"  
"Because Maxself is _sugoi_."  
"I'm going to fry you."  
"C'mon, dweebs." Isabel hopped down from the edge of Max's bed, bending down to pick up Ed. "Isaself is also very hungry."  
Isaac groaned.  
\--Oh Look a TimeSkip--  
"Mmph. Werr Wrangi ree?"  
"Max." Isaac looked over at his grinning friend, half a box of chicken nuggets shoved in the brunet's mouth. "Don't talk with food in your mouth. I know you do that on purpose to annoy me."  
Max swallowed loudly, hearing the satisfying snickers of Isabel behind them. At least _someone_ appreciated his terrible Isaac-antagonizing. He looked up, seeing the sun gradually dropping in the sky. Nightfall was coming up, and by the looks of those clouds, it was going to rain soon.  
"Where Magni be?" He asked once more, the verbal barrier now gone.  
"If I knew, we would've been at his and the penguin's home by now." Isaac mashed his hands into his pockets in a common display of grumpiness.  
"C'mon, Isaac!" Isabel bounced up and slung an arm around the boy's shoulder, giving him a sisterly noogie. "Lighten up! We'll be able to find him."  
Max smiled slightly as Isaac snipped out something in return, making Isabel gasp in mock hurt and give him another noogie.  
His smile faltered, and he watched the two interact. He'd realized that, a few weeks ago, Isaac and Isabel had never really been this close. In fact, Max didn't even really want to _know_ Isabel. But now, they were sort of like a...? Family, he supposed.  
Ed launched forward and tackled both Isabel and Isaac. The trio toppled to the ground with loud, surprised shrieks. Max laughed, bringing the chocolate milk bottle to his lips and taking a quick swig as Isaac and Isabel tried to wrestle Ed off, with no avail.  
Yeah, family. They were at least getting there. That's what clubs needed to be, right? They needed to get along and work together.  
Or maybe he was just over-evaluating things.  
"Max! Save me!" Isaac whined, holding out grabby hands toward his brunet friend. Max rolled his eyes, tossing his finished meal into someone's trashbin (today must be garbage day). To Isaac's surprise, he leaned down and grabbed the ginger around his waist. Max pulled, quickly freeing Isaac from Ed and Isabel, but sending the other two flying backwards in the process.  
Max fell straight onto his back with a loud gust of air leaving his lungs. He groaned, clutching his sides and slightly curling inwards. Of course he hit the _curb_. Where else would he hit? God forbid the _grass!_  
Isaac tried to catch his footing, but rammed into the trashbin and stumbled. His foot snagging on a pothole in the grass and he fell with a girly shriek. Even the grass seemed to be a threat.  
Isabel and Ed began to giggle out apologies and rushed to help their friends up. Max grumbled out a few choice words at Isabel, who stuck out her tongue in return.  
"Uhm. Guys?" Ed's voice immediately caught their attention, and their heads snapped over.  
"Isaac!" Max scrambled to his feet and ran over, dropping down to his knees next to the ginger. "Dude, you okay?"  
Isaac gave him a _look_. He was on his back, propped up with his elbows. His fingers were crackling with electricity and blue spectral energy, frying the grass that his hands were tangled with. The foot that caught on the pothole was being favored, and Ed seemed wary to touch it.  
"Isaac?" Isabel dropped down next to the ankle he was favoring. "On a scale from one to ten, what's the pain measurement?"  
"Two, maybe? Low three?" He gritted out. "It's throbbing, and that's what's getting me."  
"Probably just sprained it." Isabel took her book from her makeshift belt and opened it. She raised her other hand and paper followed, wrapping around Isaac's ankle tightly and making him hiss in disapproval. Ed placed a stick over the bandages, straightening Isaac's ankle onto it, and Isabel wound another layer of paper around it as Isaac complained.  
"You'll have to deal with it." Isabel told him.  
"I know, I know. But you could've been _gentler._ "  
Instead of mocking him about being pansy or something of the sort, Isabel turned to the other brunet spectral. "And Max, you'll have to carry him."  
"What."  
"I can do that." Max replied flippantly. Isaac snapped a glare toward the brunet next to him. Promises of electricity burning at his skin and rained-on clothes were made, but Max replied with an unimpressed look.  
"Would you rather Izzy or I carry you instead?" Ed grinned, and Isaac went white.  
"Max is fine."  
"I should probably take him back home." Max suggested, already picking up his friend.  
"I abhor being treated like a Princess." Isaac grumbled, crossing his arms and glaring up at Max.  
"Sorry, Milady, but you're going to have to deal with it until we get back."  
"We'll scope out for Magni." Isabel gave Max a thumbs-up. "Don't drop Isaac off a cliff on your way back."  
"Oh, hardy-har-har." Max turned, already beginning to walk away. "Don't trip and fall into a gorge on your way there."  
The two yelled insults back and forth until they were out of range, and the two boys found themselves in a semi-awkward silence.  
A few minutes passed, and Max found it increasingly harder to look down and check on Isaac. The awkward feeling intensified.  
"Hey." Max jumped at Isaac's voice. "I'm dozing off."  
"Wh--okay? Don't drool on this jacket, man. I just washed it."  
Isaac grumbled something about how it was ridiculous to wear a jacket in spring, anyways, before closing his eyes and leaning his head against Max's chest.  
The brunet, in turn, tried to walk as quietly as possible and dodge spirits smoothly. If he jerked around too much, Isaac would groan at him like the temperamental medium he was.  
By the time he was back at the Corner Store, the sun had already dropped. Max frowned up at the sky. Today was a pretty boring day. A waste of a Saturday, actually. No matter which way he looked at it, he felt that today was absolutely useless.  
Isaac made a small noise and shifted. The brunet grimaced, trying to keep a firm grip on the sleeping medium. The ginger was out like a light, and had even gone into full cuddle-mode, gripping Max's jacket like a lifeline. That would be a pain.  
The brunet winced when the sliding doors squeaked loudly as they opened. He should probably fix that like his dad told him to. Isaac complained about mice, and Max decided that yes, he would fix that squeak.  
"Hey, Ma--" Max hushed his sister's obnoxiously loud greeting with a firm hiss. He nodded down briskly toward the ginger and her mouth curled into an 'O' in understanding. Zoey hopped down from her perch on the counter and gave Max a suggestive grin. Max glared threateningly, and she giggled before shooting up the stairs. Despite her best efforts, the stairs squealed loudly under her feet, and Max sighed in defeat. If Isaac woke up, Isaac woke up. Max could deal with a grump.  
Reaching the top of the stairs with minimal noise, he noticed with a small grin that Zoey opened his door for him. She had her moments, didn't she?  
He shuffled his way to his room, mildly cussing like a sensible preteen when his toe was impaled by a metal jack. He'd have to get Zoey back for _that_ one.  
Max dropped Isaac on his bed, trembling slightly with contained laughter when his friend made a noise in protest. He went to leave with a swift turn, but was quickly yanked back with such force that he came close to collapsing onto the bed and across Isaac's legs. Looking down, his eyebrows ticked downwards in irritation to see Isaac's left hand fisted in his jacket.  
"What is this? Why are you such a snugglebug? What did I do to deserve this?" Max grumped out, slipping his backpack off and fumbling with the zipper of his jacket. As soon as he manhandled the jacket off it was being wrapped up in Isaac's arms, and the brunet spectral sighed heavily. Isaac germs. Ew.  
Sneaking out of the room, he cringed when he heard a high-pitched shriek from downstairs.  
" _Maaax!_ " Isabel sounded like she was carrying something heavy. Max glanced back at Isaac in panic, breathing out in relief when he didn't make a sound. He closed his door softly behind him before lightly jogging to and down the stairs.  
That was the moment that Maxwell Puckett really wanted a camera.  
Isabel and Ed stood at the entrance of the Corner Store, covered head to toe in multicolored, tiny, squeaking little penguin spirits with uniquely designed wings for each one. The brunette and blond spectrals stared at Max in agony.  
"Can these little guys stay here?"  
"Uhm." Max leaned against the counter, grinning. "Mind telling me where this colony of plush penguin spirits came from, first?"  
"They were hanging outside of the den that the fat sealion spirit decided to take over." Isabel sighed as the penguins squawked and leapt off, her load lessening. "We found it not five minutes after you and Isaac left. It's practically in someone's backyard."  
"I feel for them. Penguins like cold places. Did you check their ice box for any more?" Max chuckled, tilting his head. Ed let out a wail in mourning, successfully dispelling the penguins.  
"Izzy wouldn't _let_ me!"  
"Breaking and entering is only cool when you know the person owning the house!"  
"But we've broke into other places a lo--"  
"Shh!" Isabel hissed, bringing a finger to her lips firmly. "Anyways! We got some useful tidbits on big, fat, and ugly. We should wake up Isaac for this."  
Max gave her an exasperated look as if to say _He literally just fell asleep, you psycho. He'll fry me slowly and painfully._  
Or maybe he said it out loud, because Isabel responded with a dangerous glint to her eyes and a swift:  
"Isaac needs to hear this more than anyone."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just noticed AO3 tells the chapter number and then the chapter title FOR you (EX: Chapter 1: (Insert Chapter name here))  
> I'VE BEEN WRITING THE CHAPTER NUMBERS IN THE CHAPTER NAME BOX AND I DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE (EX: Chapter 1: Chapter One: (Insert name of chapter one here)  
> However, I find this extremely humorous and I don't plan on changing it
> 
> PLUS: Another note, I have a bad tendency of updating this fanfiction on Tumblr and then forgetting to update on AO3 for a good, eh? Month or so. My URL on Tumblr is the same as my username on here! Just in case you wanna check up on me (I am very much human-- I forget stuff like this)  
> Feel free to send me a quick message ("'Ey doofus when u gon' update on AO3 eh??") SO YES, that is my news  
> Thanks for reading and all that yeyeye


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Blubber Beast and a Pinky Promise

“Let me get this straight,” Isaac glared forward at Isabel from his seat on Max’s bed. Somewhere during his short nap, he had awoken and slid on Max’s jacket… It was way too big on him. He looked ridiculous, but Max was not complaining… Even if his jacket was going to be coated in Isaac germs. “You woke me up to talk about _fighting?_ ”  
“Yes, but--”  
“Good night.” Isaac fell over and curled around Max’s pillow. Said brunet snorted, smirking down at the ginger from his perch on his dresser. Isabel groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose.  
“No, listen. Isaac, this is _serious_.”  
“I believe Max told me that the day we wore flower crowns to school.”  
“That was a _very_ serious matter. I had to protect you.”  
“With _hydrangeas?_ I’m pretty sure that blue haired kid in our math class got mad at us for that.”  
“Hey. Now we know not to touch his hydrangeas.”  
“That was so not worth a one-day flower crown.”  
“Boys, boys!” Isabel sighed. "You're both very adorable when bickering, but can we talk about the blubber beast for a second and how _Isaac_ is the _only one_ who can _defeat_ it?"  
LightningRod went quiet, giving them a look that clearly prompted them to explain. Isabel snapped her fingers at Ed, who grinned and launched into explanation.  
"It's psychic." He then proceeded to cross his arms and smile like that explained world hunger. The other three stared at him for a second, and Isaac sat up, trying to prompt Ed to continue. Isabel sighed and faced Isaac and Max.  
"Alright. I admit asking him to explain was stupid. But in my shoes, his two word monologue made sense. Let me elaborate." Isabel sighed heavily. "Yes, blubber beast is psychic, which means she can read our minds."  
Realization dawned in Isaac's eyes as he connected the dots, and he looked over at Max to see if the same conclusion was met. Seeing his friend's vacant look back, Isaac took it upon himself to explain even more.  
"She can't use her powers on me, because Stormy won't let her." Isaac tapped his head to indicate his spirit. "Which means if I attack her, she won't see it coming. Since, y'know. She can see our thoughts and all that."  
"Okay, but," Max's eyebrows creased further. "how do we know she's a she?"  
The other three gave him a blank stare, as if it were obvious.  
"Oh, don't look at me like that!" Max grumbled, hopping off the dresser and flopping heavily over Isaac's lap, much to the ginger's dismay. The brunet mumbled 'You owe me.' to which Isaac replied 'No, I don't.' Isabel and Ed looked over at each other.  
"You thinking what I'm thinking?"  
"Probs not."  
"At least you're honest." Isabel giggled, turning back to the others. "I'm thinking we should break into our usual groups and take this thing on. Right now."  
Isaac looked up at her, his mouth drawing into a fine line. The medium pointed out the window toward the night sky.  
"Are you serious right now if you make us go out whilst it's night time I just might zap you into next year get your head in the program I will kill you swiftly and soundly and no blood will be spilt."  
"Whoa, there, pacifist." Max rolled over on his lap and pressed a finger to Isaac's mouth. "Make like a lake and be calm."  
"I say we make like a banana and split."  
" _Did you hear nothing I just said?_ "  
"I heard you, but I wasn't listening."  
" _Thanks_ , Ed."  
"Guys, can we not instigate the person's lap I'm laying in? He kind of shoots lightning and stuff."  
"Isaac, you need to go 'round her while the rest of us draw her attention, then—"  
"Is today National Annoy Isaac Day? Because I'm feeling it in the form of static on my back."  
Isabel laughed, rolling backwards and sprawling out on the floor. Max stared at her.  
"You think I'm being cynical, but you'll smell burnt flesh here in a second, and you will wish the windows were open. But guess what. The windows aren't open. Nor will they open because my agony has produced the sharp smell of burning hair and preteen skin during the late hours of the night."  
"Alright? What was the point of that spiel?" Isaac looked down at Max, who smirked up at him.  
"Easy. It was a roundabout way of telling someone to get off their denim-coated carpet throne and open the window."  
"Max, have I ever told you how ridiculous you are?"  
"On every occasion that needs that deadpanned insult, yes— oh, 'ey. Thanks, Ed."  
Ed saluted from his position at the now-open window.  
"I'd like to say no problem, but I broke one of your window latches." The blond Spectral grinned, pushing his glasses further up on his face.  
"Ed, my man." Max frowned. "Isaac's already blew out that window twice now. C'mon."  
"It was _once_."  
"Twice. I have them both on camera."  
" _Once..._ " Isaac muttered, dead-set on only screwing up one time.  
"Dude." Max laughed. "The first time it happened was when you brought that Canadian Goose in here—"  
Suddenly, a dark cloud passed over the moon, plunging the outside street into semi-darkness. The street light flickering and going out with it. The four Spectrals went dead silent.  
"Uhm." Isabel whispered. "That was sort of weird."  
"Yeah." Max sat up, slinging an arm around Isaac. The medium tensed, and Max could practically feel the boy's fight-or-flight instincts kicking on. The brunet gave the ginger a flat look.  
"Do I really smell that bad, or are you just being mean?"  
"No, idiot. Something is about to happen." A corner of Isaac's mouth twitched up in a grin.  
As if on cue, the lights in Max's room flickered, and all four kids froze in place.  
Purple, slimy skin glistened from the corner of the room. Red Betta fins floated ethereally, as if the spirit were surrounded by water. Her eyes were black and beady, seeming completely animal. The spirit opened her massive maw, showing jagged and lacerated teeth.  
"Oh, sh—" Isaac started, but was cut off by Ed.  
" _ABANDON SHIP._ " He hollered, diving through Max's window, breaking the screen in the process. Isabel cussed, finally getting her wits about her.  
"Let's go!" She yelled at Max and Isaac, rolling out the window. Max sprang to his feet and snatched the jacket Isaac was wearing, pulling the medium to his feet as he made his way to the window.  
"Go, go, go." The brunet shoved Isaac out the window. He looked back at Max, eyebrows creased. "I need my bat." Max winked, and Isaac's eyes widened.  
"No, Ma—" The brunet closed the window and clicked the remaining latch closed. Isaac pounded his fists angrily on the window, electricity arcing from his fingers. The force was enough to knock him backwards, and Max sighed in relief as Isabel caught the medium before he hit the ground.  
 _Ooh, this isn't going to be pretty, arrogant little Spectral._  
Max turned, breaking out into sweat. If he could make it to his door, then he could—  
His thoughts were cut short by a splatter, and now Max was sure he'd need a shower because he was sweating a lot. He stared in nothing short of agony at his door, which was now plastered over with a slimy-looking goop that the sea lion thing had spit over it.  
"Why do I feel like that's not gonna wash off?" He muttered.  
 _You won't have time for another joke, little Spectral. You smell particularly good. I think I might just eat you._  
Max bit his lower lip, looking back at the spirit.  
"Sorry, but I don't taste good with... Whatever that stuff is." He pointed at the slime plastering his door. His eyes widened as a small arc of lightning sprouted from the door handle, and Max looked away quickly, urging himself to think about random things.  
Ice cream, wow, wasn't that just the most _cliché_ thing to think about at this moment. Well, it was better than thinking about how Isa— _Wait no chocolate chip ice cream is really good._  
He could see the spirit's beady eyes narrow.  
 _What are you hiding?_  
"Currently?" Max had to think of something quickly. "Uh, man. I have a pretty decent stash of porn in my top left drawer. And I really love shoujo anime, but don't tell my sister because she might insist I watch stuff with her, and that is the _last_ thing on my bucket list—"  
 _SILENCE, you insolent child!_  
Insolent Child. Max had to contain his snicker.  
 _All your blathering is making it hard to hear your thoughts!_  
Oh, wow. She kind of just handed him that one.  
"Ah, well, if that's the case can I just say one thing?"  
The spirit was drifting closer, and she growled.  
 _What._  
"In the rare and unlikely but considerable chance that you can't read someone's mind, how might you go about that situation? Please write a two page essay, front and back, on how that might go down so I can casually make a hasty retreat. Can you eat me on Monday, perhaps? I'm only going to school on Monday, so I doubt I'll be missed." Max held out a hand, trying to contain his fright as she snarled, a guttural low sound that made his skin crawl.  
Thank whatever god was watching over him, because Max's door flew off it's hinges with a loud _crack!_ Isaac shot in, snatching Max as the spirit was still in shock. The two preteens darted from the room, and Max smiled to see his bat strapped to Isaac's back with paper and ink.  
"Thanks, man."  
"You helped too. By, like, y'know. Stalling her." The two fell down the stairs, but managed to land on their feet and break into a sprint again. Max thanked the gods again when the automatic doors decided to _actually_ open.  
"Where're we running to?" Max asked, Isabel and Ed joining their sprint.  
"Good question!" Isabel grinned. "Isaac's leading!"  
Isaac reached into one of his pockets, pulling a shirt. He let go of Max and tore at the cloth, ripping three strips off and handing them back before tossing the ruined top over the street railing. Isabel and Ed quickly tied the blindfolds over their eyes, and Max gave Isaac an incredulous look.  
"You're serious?"  
"Do you want her to find us?" Isaac asked.  
"Do you want me to trip and die?" Max replied. Isaac bit his lip, holding back a grin.  
"Normally I'd reply by telling you to follow my Spectral energy... But I just remembered that you can't sense that kind of stuff, yet." He frowned back at Max. "Put on the blindfold then hold out your hand."  
"You're serious?"  
"He's dead serious." Isabel accurately turned her head toward Max, grinning.  
"Uhm." The brunet stared down at the cloth before pulling it over his eyes and tying it. "If you say so."  
Isaac's hand clamped down on his, and Max complained, making the ginger laugh.  
To say Max had no coordination with a blindfold on was an understatement. He tripped at least ten times in five minutes. Isaac would help him up, giggling and murmuring reassurances that everyone was like that their first time in a blindfolded run. Max's face was burning with embarrassment as he was pulled to his feet by Isaac again.  
"I think we're safe." Isabel murmured, turning her head. "There aren't any spirits around here."  
"Not surprising." Isaac sighed. "C'mon, it's just up here." He tugged on Max's shirt, who held out his hand with a frown. There was a pause, and if his blindfold were off he'd see the surprised face Isaac had before taking his hand and guiding him toward their destination.  
A door opened, and there was a pause before the door closed again.  
"Isaac?" A woman's voice called, and Isaac sighed heavily. "Isaac O'Conner, where have you been?"  
"Off the blindfolds. Follow me." The three took off the shirt cloth and looked around.  
"Isaac, is this...?" Isabel's eyes were wide, and the ginger scratched the back of his head.  
"S'my house. C'mon!" Isaac waved his hand, motioning for them to follow him. Max was the first to respond, following Isaac down a hallway. Ed and Isabel were taking in the house with awe before kicking into gear and following Isaac.  
"It's bigger than I expected." Ed murmured. Isabel nodded in agreement.  
"Isaac? Isaac!" The woman's voice called again, getting sterner.  
"Hurry." Isaac tossed over his shoulder, propelling up spiral stairs. Isabel whistled, impressed.  
"Dude, you're rich?"  
"I'm not in an alternate universe. Hurry up." Max smirked up at Isaac, who was at the top of the stairs. The ginger was flushed pink in embarrassment. The three reached the top of the stairs, and Isaac started going down another hallway.  
"Was that your mom?" Isabel asked, glancing over the second floor railing. Isaac nodded, looking back.  
"She gets mad when I'm not home for a few days without telling her."  
Isabel and Ed stared at him in shock, whereas Max laughed.  
"Dude. You gotta keep your mom in the loop."  
"She goes overboard when she thinks I have friends." Max could practically _hear_ Isaac rolling his eyes. "So I try to keep her at an arm length."  
The medium opened a door and walked in, glancing back and jerking his head to invite them in.  
"Ah! You have a guinea pig!" Was the first thing out of Isabel's mouth. Ed and Isabel rushed over to the large cage, and the orange and white guinea pig sniffed at them.  
"Her name's Sweet Pea." Isaac muttered, scratching the back of his head. Max stood next to Isaac, hands in his pockets and looking around the room. The ginger looked over at him warily.  
Isaac's bed was green and blue themed, with brown accents. His walls were a light blue, with white clouds painted on the ceiling and tops of walls. There were various posters scattered across the walls, and were—surprisingly—not all anime oriented. His dresser was long, with various knick-knacks organized across the top of it. Shelves were nailed to the walls with manga and fiction/fantasy books packed together on each shelf. Max smiled, looking around before meeting eyes with Isaac.  
"It's very you." He commented, motioning toward the room. The medium blinked in surprise.  
"Thanks..." Isaac murmured, smiling almost shyly. It took two seconds for that smile to turn into a mischievous one, and one second after for Max to become _extremely_ wary.  
"I won't mention the porn, but—"  
"I was lying." Max caught on almost immediately. "It was all a lie."  
"Really? Because I've been in your top left drawer and—" Isaac cut himself off with a laugh when Max slapped his arm.  
"You _know_ that there's nothing in that drawer but— _Wait._ " Isaac had never seen Max turn such a bright pink before, but he immediately put it on his to-do-again list. " _Isaac!_ That's my _underwear_ drawer!" He hissed. Isaac grinned wickedly.  
"Okay!" The two boys jumped at Isabel's voice. Sweet Pea was perched on her head as she posed like Wonder Woman. "We have to have a plan of attack!"  
"Bad idea." Isaac interjected immediately. "She can read minds, remember? If we're attacking her, as much as I hate to say it, we're going to have to seriously wing it."  
"I agree. We should totally ignore this whole thing—hold up." Max blanched. The other three looked at him. "The penguins. Magni."  
"The pengui—? Oh, don't worry about them. Ed took care of that while Isaac was napping." Isabel grinned.  
Back at Grandpa Guerra's, the students were tripping over little angelic penguins.  
"So they're safe?" Isaac asked.  
"Mmmmhm! A spirit of her level wouldn't dare go near a giant house full of Spectrals." Ed yawned. "Even if she was starving."  
"Starving?" Max asked. Isaac plopped down on his bed, nodding.  
"Wouldn't it not make any sense for her to target a cave full of, say, giant cats? She targeted the penguins because that's her prey."  
"Makes... Sense..." Max muttered. "Can I have my jacket back?"  
"No."  
"Alright, so." Isabel frowned, putting on a thoughtful face. Ed took this chance to swipe Sweet Pea from her. "Point being we... Just sort of fight her until we take her down, I guess."  
"Yeah!" Ed laughed, Sweet Pea beginning to run around on his stomach as he sprawled across Isaac's hardwood floor. "She can't block everything forever! We jus' gotta kick her until she's down in the dumbs!"  
"It's 'down in the _dumps'_ , and I'm not so sure that'll work." Isaac grumbled. Max flopped over his lap again, and he grunted in protest. "Must you do this again?"  
"Not my fault you're comfortable." Max deadpanned. Isaac pinched the bridge of his nose.  
"A'ight, so." Isabel hummed. "Guess we're staying at Isaac's for tonight?"  
"I suspect as much." Said boy replied, shifting a tad.  
"I'm chill with that. Isaac stop moving, I was comfortable."  
"Your ribs were digging into my thighs. Isn't it supposed to be the other way around? Uncool."  
"Sounds like a personal problem."  
"Where do Ed and I sleep?" Isabel asked. "I'd rather not sleep on hardwood. Do you have sleeping bags?"  
"Uhm. Well. No. But we do have a couple of guest rooms down the hall to the right?" Isaac pointed toward the door.  
"Dude." Max protested. "How many rooms does this house have?"  
There was a pause before Isaac replied with a timid. "I dunno..."  
The brunet on his lap hummed in response, watching Isabel and Ed play with Sweet Pea.  
"S'cool, I guess. But why'd we always come to my house if we have all this space over here?"  
"I." Max rolled over, looking up at Isaac to see the prominent frown on his face as he stared down a Monsters University poster. "I don't know. Your house just seems a lot more... Comfortable. It's smaller and more familiar. Over here it's too..."  
"Empty?" Max offered.  
"Yeah. That's a way to put it." Isaac shrugged. "If I'm not at school or your house, I'm here cooped up in my room. It's boring."  
Something about that sentence reminded Max of a question he was going to ask, but forgot about, and the brunet yelped in epiphany. Isaac jumped as Max flew up, and the pair slammed foreheads.  
The two Spectrals moaned in pain, Isaac recoiling backwards whereas Max bent forwards, both clutching at their heads. Isabel and Ed had collapsed into hysterics as soon at Max and Isaac knocked together, and were both currently stumbling to their feet to check up on their friends and ask if they were okay, all while giggling. Max groaned out a snippy "Just _peachy._ " whereas Isaac was blunt with his venomous "No!"  
The hurt duo looked over and met eyes, both of their eyes watering and foreheads pink from where they impacted, and started laughing.  
"What was that about?" Isaac asked, rubbing his head before smiling up at Max. The brunet shifted off his lap and crossed his legs.  
"What did you mean by following your Spectral Energy?" Max asked. Isabel snapped her finger and launched into him, grinning wildly.  
"I can tell you about _that!_ " Her smile was unnerving, but Max urged her to continue with a nod. She grinned and sat back on Isaac's lap, but before she began, her face contorted into surprise and she whipped to face the ginger.  
"You _are_ comfortable!"  
"Shut up!"  
Ed laughed rancorously.  
Isabel turned back to Max with a grin, Isaac groaned, flushed pink.  
"It's something we learned back at Grandpa's. We put on blindfolds and like. We can sense Spectral energy and stuff." She cackled. Mac stared at her blankly.  
"Very helpful. I'm feeling enlightened."  
"I'd be able to explain better if Isabel would _get off._ " Isaac hissed. The girl grinned at him, getting up and plopping down on Ed's back on the floor. Isaac sighed and got up, walking over to the light switch and flicking it off. The room was plunged into darkness, and Isabel made a sound of understanding. Max slid over as he felt Isaac sit next to him.  
"Picture it like this. If you can't see at all, you can't really do anything. However, if you can sense Spectral energy then it's sort of like..." Isaac's hand lit up in blue, and the room was lit with an ethereal glow. "This. You can sort of see the area around them, but only enough to evade general objects... If you're following them, that is. It's usually a pretty useless tactic, but I guess it came in handy this time."  
"Wait, wait." Max frowned, looking over at Isaac. "If you can still technically _see_ , then won't she still be able to get here?"  
"Nope." Isabel's voice answered. "What you can see is actually intensely limited to a very small space. You can see in front of you, but there is no peripheral. It's a weird sort of vision, but it came in handy. You're usually so focused on the ground for obstacles that you never actually remember which turns you took. That was the point of running here. We don't remember the turns or the telling landmarks."  
"I remember that I tripped over a huge rock." Max stated flatly. The mattress lifted, and a second later the lights came on. Isaac flipped onto the bed again, landing heavily on Max's lap. The brunet coughed before glaring at Isaac. The medium smiled innocently.  
"My bad." He cooed, batting his eyelashes. "I was aiming for the area next to you."  
"Were you aiming for the area next to that huge rock, too?"  
Isabel snorted.  
"Guys, can I just say something?" She asked. The two on the bed looked over at her, and Ed blew a raspberry in acknowledgement. Isabel paused, biting her lower lip.  
"I'm really happy that..." Her eyebrows creased, and she looked up and laughed timidly. "Happy that! Uhm, that I've had such great fights while with you guys." She waved her hand. "Yeah."  
"I'm glad to be your friend, too." Ed quacked out, and Isabel scratched the back of her head.  
"... Thanks, Eddy."  
"You two've been a major stick up my butt for awhile." Isaac sighed, looking over at Ed and Isabel. "But, I mean. You guys aren't that bad. I like hanging out with you." He muttered, shifting his gaze.  
"If this turns into some big feelings jam, I'm gonna be outta here so fast." Max jabbed his thumb toward the door. Isabel and Isaac grinned at him, and he sighed loudly. "Okay, okay. I guess it's pretty cool chillin' with you losers. I mean, I'm obviously too cool for this nerd in my lap right now, and definitely you two. But he's ultimately a lot of fun to be around, and you two are just as crazy as that blubber gross spirit that tried to eat me not half an hour ago." Isabel cooed, as if she was flattered. "So yeah, that's the only mushy stuff you'll get out of me."  
They were silent for a few seconds, then Isabel shot up and tackled the two boy on the bed in a bone-crushing hug.  
" _Dogpile!_ " Ed yelled, and the other three shrieked as he body slammed them into the mattress.  
"Guys, I just want you three to know that we're the best team out there, and we can totally kick any spirit's behind, because we're just _that_ awesome." Isabel clenched her fist and shook it in the air. Isaac and Max were smashed beneath her, groaning every time Ed wiggled around.  
"Good to know... Can you get off us, now?" Max grunted out.  
"Pinky promise!" Ed grinned, glasses falling down his nose a little.  
"For what?" Isaac asked.  
"We gotta be the bestest team, amirite? Pinky promise on it!" Ed held out his pinky, and Isabel twined hers with his almost immediately. Isaac joined theirs, with difficulty. The trio looked down at Max, who's mouth stretched into a fine line. He tugged his arm out from three preteens and joined his pinky to theirs.  
"Pinky promise we'll be the best team!" Isabel was smiling, and it looked bright and genuine.  
"Pinky promise we'll be the best team." Isaac echoed.  
"Yeah, yeah. Best team, right." Max sighed, but couldn't contain the smallest of smiles. "I feel like I'm a part of a cult, or something. Geez."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW sorry for the long wait! I like this chapter, so I hope you guys do, too! Friendship is my weakness...

**Author's Note:**

> Holy popsicles sorry for all the italics??????? It kinda makes me self-conscious that there is so many words that are slanted like haha whoa...  
> But if they weren't then it wouldn't have the right tone, I think... I want those parts to be read a certain way.
> 
> Or we can just blame it on Max's cynical attitude.  
> Yeah. Let's do that.


End file.
